Harry Potter and Our Last Year
by Tigerflesh
Summary: In the third part of this series, we find Harry and friends returning to Hogwarts, where our heroes prepare for the darkest and most twisted plot of Voldemort in their journey yet, including the rise of a new, best and the most unlikely Death Eater of all
1. Chapter 1: The New Burrow

Chapter One: The New Burrow

Harry felt exhausted. He'd never dreamed that he could feel this way. He and Dumbledore began making their way down the driveway toward the Burrow, a path which he'd traveled many times. But as they came closer, Harry was sure that they were at the wrong address. In fact, he turned around while walking, looking in every direction to make sure that they were at the correct address.

"Professor," Harry said awkwardly. "Where are we?"

"The Burrow, of course," Dumbledore said, sounding surprised. "Surely you recognize it, after all this time."

"Well, yeah, but –" Harry began, pointing at what caused him so much surprise.

Dumbledore laughed and said, "Oh yes, yes of course. You wouldn't have realized. That was done a week ago, that was, or _finished_ anyway."

Harry stared in awe at the house. It wasn't the Burrow as he'd known it. It was a beautiful looking brown house: two stories high, several windows, seemed to be wide enough from front to back that it could have fit at least three bedrooms. Harry had never seen a mansion before, but from the pictures he'd seen of the Malfoy's mansion, this seemed to be a small replica of it, only less dark and threatening. It was beautiful! It seemed as though the old house had been completely taken off the earth and replaced by a respectable house. As Harry came closer, he looked up and couldn't believe at what he was seeing.

"How?" Harry asked, totally confused.

"I believe you should ask your friends that," Dumbledore said with a knowing smile.

"My friends?" Harry repeated, confused.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he said, "You can't imagine any of your friends who would spend two weeks straight building the Weasleys a new house?"

Then it dawned on Harry. "_Aria _and_ Riley_ built this?" he exclaimed.

Aria Hardwick and Riley O'Malley were two of Harry's closest friends. They'd originally lived in America, attending Silvergates Academy, the one school who had broken all records in history by attending the TriWizard Tournament, a fourth school when there were traditionally only three. Riley had originally attended Durmstrang Institute in Bulgaria, and Aria attended Beauxbatons Academy in France, until Riley was expelled her first year because of tragic incident in which she was forced to return to the orphanage in which she and Aria had grown up in. However, shortly after returning to America after the death of Hogwarts' student, Cedric Diggory, Riley was once again expelled, and being the close friend that she was, Aria left Silvergates as well. From what Harry had been able to piece together from the vague information the girls had given him, they'd made their way to London from Riley's expulsion hearing, and were then offered a chance to go to Hogwarts. Aria had joined the Gryffindor House, while Riley had somehow landed herself in Slytherin, away from all of her friends. Still, Riley had become a Prefect, an unprecedented move for someone who had never attended Hogwarts before, and was now determined to do good in Slytherin before leaving the next year. It was an ambitious move, but something about Riley told Harry that she would accomplish it. After all, Riley had grown to gain his trust and he'd found himself often turning to her for advice and opinions.

Still, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Riley and Aria – the two jokesters of Hogwarts next to Fred and George – were capable of something of this magnitude. Both were extremely powerful witches, and both were now of age, so they could practice magic outside of school without being expelled.

As Harry and Dumbledore pulled up onto the front porch, which was surrounded by a nice deck and railing, he could hear the soft clucking of sleepy chickens coming from a distant shed. Dumbledore knocked three times and Harry saw sudden movement behind the kitchen window.

"Who's there?" said a nervous voice he recognized as Mrs. Weasley's. "Declare yourself!"

"It is I, Dumbledore, bringing Harry."

The front door, brown and seemingly perfect, not ragged in any way, shape or form as the other had been, opened at once. There stood Mrs. Weasley, short, plump and wearing an old green dressing gown. "Harry, dear! Gracious, Albus, you gave me a fright, you said not to expect you before morning!"

"We were lucky," said Dumbledore, ushering Harry through the door. "Slughorn proved much more persuadable than I had expected. Harry's doing, of course. Ah, hello, Nymphadora!"

Harry stared around the room in awe, his mouth actually hanging in disbelief. They were standing in a kitchen, a _real_ kitchen! There was a stove, a refrigerator – all of which he'd seen in the house before – and a long table made of wood. As Harry looked around, he also noticed that Mrs. Weasley wasn't alone, despite the lateness of the hour. A young witch with a pale, heart-shaped face and mousy brown hair was sitting at the table, clutching a large mug between her hands.

"Hello, Professor," she said with a smile. "Wotcher, Harry. You like the place?" She seemed to know by the look on Harry's face what he was thinking, and why he was standing with his mouth gaping like an idiot.

"Yeah," Harry admitted in a mild laugh, rotating his neck again to look around. "It's _weird_, though."

"Oh, that," Mrs. Weasley chuckled as she shut the door behind Dumbledore and Harry. "Yes, well, Aria and Riley asked me and Arthur this summer if we'd like a make-over of the house, to get a nice house that would be suitable for the Order, as well as big enough for the entire family. Of course we said yes, and this was what we got, perfect for us."

"No kidding," Harry said with a smile. "They didn't miss a detail, did they? They built this entire thing?"

"That's right," Tonks said with a smile. "Watched them do it. They must have worked for eight hours a day, every day for what, two weeks?"

"That's right, my dear," Mrs. Weasley, said as she nodding. "Two weeks, it were. Though, between the four of us, I think Aria offered because she was tired of sleeping in the same tent as Riley." There was a smile on her face, a knowing twinkle in her eyes.

Tonks chuckled as she stood up. "With that wolf? No kidding! Who wouldn't be?"

"Don't listen to 'er, Harry," Mrs. Weasley whispered in Harry's ear. "She and Riley have grown right close this summer, they have. They just like to nag at one another every now an' then."

"Well, I'd better be off," Tonks said as she pulled her cloak over her shoulders. "Thanks for the tea and sympathy, Molly."

"Please don't leave on my account," said Dumbledore courteously. "I cannot stay, I have urgent matters to discuss with Rufus Scrimgeour."

"No, no, I need to get going," said Tonks, not meeting Dumbledore's eyes. "'Night –"

"No, really, Molly... thanks anyway... Good night, everyone."

Tonks hurried past Dumbledore and Harry into the yard; a few paces beyond the doorstep, she turned on the spot and vanished into thin air. Harry noticed that Mrs. Weasley looked troubled.

"Well, I shall see you at Hogwarts, Harry," said Dumbledore. "Take care of yourself. Molly, until next time."

He made Mrs. Weasley a bow and followed Tonks, vanishing at precisely the same spot. Mrs. Weasley closed the door on the empty yard and then steered Harry by the shoulders into the full glow of the lantern on the table to examine his appearance.

"You're like Ron," she sighed, looking him up and down. "Both of you look as though you've had Stretching Jinxes put on you. I swear Ron's grown four inches since I last bought him school robes. Are you hungry, Harry?"

"Yeah, I am," said Harry, suddenly realizing just how hungry he was.

"Sit down, dear, I'll knock something up."

As Harry sat down, a furry ginger cat with a squashed face jumped onto his knees and settled there, purring. "So Hermione's here?" he asked happily as he tickled Crookshanks behind the ears.

"Oh yes, she arrived the day before yesterday," said Mrs. Weasley, rapping a large iron pot with her hand. It bounced onto the stove with a loud clang and began to bubble at once. "She was just as surprised and pleased about the Burrow's new condition as you were. The threshold will be growing over again soon, don't you fret. Everyone's in bed, of course, we didn't expect you for hours. Here you are –" She tapped the pot again; it rose into the air, flew toward Harry, and tipped over; Mrs. Weasley slid a bowl neatly beneath it just in time to catch the stream of thick, steaming onion soup. "Bread, dear?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

She waved her wand over her shoulder; a loaf and a knife soared gracefully onto the table; as the loaf sliced itself and the soup pot dropped back onto the stove, Mrs. Weasley sat down opposite him. "So you persuaded Horace Slughorn to take the job?"

Harry nodded, his mouth so full of hot soup that he could not speak.

"He taught Arthur and me," said Mrs. Weasley. "He was at Hogwarts for ages, started around the same time as Dumbledore, I think. Did you like him?"

His mouth now full of bread, Harry shrugged and gave a non-committal jerk of his head.

"I know what you mean," said Mrs. Weasley, nodding wisely. "Of course he can be charming when he wants to, but Arthur's never liked him. The Ministry's littered with Slughorn's old favorites, he was always good at giving leg ups, but he never had much time for Arthur – didn't seem to think he was enough of a highflier. Well, that just shows you, even Slughorn makes mistakes. I don't know where Ron's told you in any of his letters – it's only just happened – but Arthur's been promoted!" It could not have been clearer that Mrs. Weasley had been bursting to say this.

Harry swallowed a large amount of very hot soup and thought he could feel his throat blistering. "That's great!" he gasped.

"You are sweet," beamed Mrs. Weasley, possibly taking his watering eyes for emotion at the news. "Yes, Rufus Scrimgeour has set up several new offices in response to the present situation, and Arthur's heading the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. It's a big job, he's got ten people reporting to him now!"

"What exactly –?"

"Well, you see, in all the panic about You-know-Who, odd things have been cropping up for sale everywhere, things that are supposed to guard against You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters. You can imagine the kind of thing – so-called protective potions that are really gravy with a bit of bubotuber pus added, or instructions for defensive jinxes that actually make your ears fall off... Well, in the main the perpetrators are just people like Mundungus Fletcher, who've never done an honest day's work in their lives and are taking advantage of how frightened everybody is, but every now and then something really nasty turns up. The other day Arthur confiscated a box of cursed Sneakoscopes that were almost certainly planted by a Death Eater. So you see, it's a very important job, and I tell him it's just silly to miss dealing with spark plugs and toasters and all the rest of that Muggle rubbish." Mrs. Weasley ended her speech with a stern look, as if it had been Harry suggesting that it was natural to miss spark plugs.

"Is Mr. Weasley still at work?" Harry asked.

"Yes, he is. As a matter of fact, he's a tiny bit late... He said he'd be back around midnight..."

"It's okay, Mrs. Weasley, he'll be home soon," a familiar voice said.

Harry turned his head and his eyes brightened when he recognized someone standing at the back door. She had long brown hair, piercing blue-grey eyes, and was wearing a black tanktop and blue jeans with black sandals. She had a black leather wristband around her right forearm, and a big smile on her face. As Harry looked at her, he noticed a long scar from the bottom of her left ear to almost her chin. It had healed nicely, but was still as visible as day.

"Riley!" Harry laughed as he stood up, moving away from Mrs. Weasley and the hot soup to hug Riley.

"Hey, Harry," Riley said with a smile, hugging Harry back.

As Harry pulled away, Mrs. Weasley asked with surprise, "What are you doing awake at this hour?"

Riley brushed her hair back over her left ear with a smile as she said, "Oh, you know me, can never predict the hours in which I choose to sleep." She nodded to Harry. "Plus, you two talk loud enough to wake up an elephant."

Mrs. Weasley turned a deep shade of red with embarrassment and she asked in a high-pitched voice, "We were talking too loud? My goodness, I'm sorry if we woke you up!"

Riley laughed and held up her hands defensively, saying, "It's okay, Mrs. Weasley, I'm fine. Seriously, I was just awake and doing some reading. Want to keep updated for when we go back to school."

"'Updated'?" Harry asked in disbelief, looking at Riley. "You were taking seventh year Potions and Defense Against the Dark arts during your fifth year."

Riley scoffed as she and Harry sat down beside one another at the table again. "You call _that_ Defense Against the Dark Arts?" she asked skeptically, looking at Harry in disbelief.

Harry couldn't help but smile in embarrassment and in a guilty way. Riley was right. In an attempt to ignore the idea that Voldemort was back, the Ministry had gone to every length to discredit Harry and Dumbledore, including pushing through a ridiculous law that allowed for the Ministry to send their own advocate – a horrible, horrible woman named Dolores Umbridge – to be the school's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She was given the position by force, but in the end all she did was give the classes a wimpy book that couldn't have protected them from a Mandrake's scream! She resorted to brutal and barbaric tactics of forcing most kids to obey her, which included forcing the students to do lines for hours with their own blood instead of ink. Harry looked down and saw that Riley still had scars on the back of her hands, one saying 'I must not tell lies' while the other read 'I must not betray the Ministry of Magic'. To stand up against Umbridge and the Ministry – who seemed determined not to let the kids learn anything while they sacked every decent teacher in the school – Harry and his friends had founded a defense club of loyal students who wanted to learn how to defend themselves against Voldemort. Riley had been caught when the Slytherins had betrayed her, leaving her to Umbridge like a gazelle to a lion, and Riley endured three months of terrible lines before Madam Pomfrey forced them to stop because they were putting Riley's life in danger. In fact, Riley and Aria had been with Harry, along with his other friends, the night that they went to the Department of Mysteries, one of the many examples of her loyalties to him, the school, and the Weasleys.

Riley continued to say, "No, I'm taking sixth and seventh year Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. _Hopefully_, we'll have a good teacher to learn from."

"Hopefully," Harry agreed, though unable to imagine Slughorn being a very good teacher. He just wasn't all that interesting, and he was a complete suck-up. Harry found the spineless attribute very annoying.

A moment later, there was a knock on the back door. Mrs. Weasley jumped up and hurried to it. With one hand on the doorknob and her face pressed against the wood, she called out softly, "Arthur, is that you?"

While Mr. And Mrs. Weasley went on, Riley turned to face Harry, her arms folded on the table as she asked with a smile, "So, you happy to be here?"

Harry rolled his eyes and said in a sigh, "You have _no idea_!"

Riley chuckled and said, "So, you like the place?" She looked around with a proud smile on her face.

"Oh yeah," Harry said, nodding with a smile. "You and Aria did some good work here."

Riley beamed and said, "Yeah, well, after a couple of weeks we felt that we owed them something, so we offered and they accepted. Frankly, I think Aria was sick of my snoring." Her eyes twinkled in amusement. "Something about sleeping in the same place as a wolf when you're a cat, just doesn't really work out."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle quietly. Riley and Aria were both Animaguses, had been since he'd first met them. Riley was a solid black wolf with her bright blue eyes, and Aria was a solid black cat with her all-knowing brown eyes. It was yet another example of how far ahead Riley and Aria were, that they'd been able to transfigure themselves completely since the age of fourteen, back in their third year at Silvergates.

While the Weasleys went on about an argument, Harry stiffled a yawn behind his hand.

"Bed," said an undeceived Mrs. Weasley at once. "I've got Fred and George's room all ready for you, you'll have it to yourself."

"Why, where are they?"

"Diagon Alley," Riley said with a knowing grin.

"That's right," Mrs. Weasley said, nodding. "Sleeping in the little flat over their joke shop as they're so busy. I must say, I didn't approve at first, but they do seem to have a bit of a flair of business! Come on, dear, your trunk's already up there."

"Night, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, pushing back his chair. Crookshanks leapt lightly from his lap and stared at Riley for a minute, as though debating whether to stay. Riley raised an eyebrow at the cat, as though warning it, and the ginger cat ran out of the room.

"What was that about?" Harry asked, looking back at Riley.

Riley smiled up at Harry and said, "Oh, Crookshanks has been pushing my buttons all summer. So a few days ago I transformed in front of her and scared the piss out of her."

"_Literally_," Mrs. Weasley said, rolling her eyes as she sighed. "_That_ was a filthy mess to clean up."

"G'night," Harry said Mr. Weasley with a smile.

Harry hesitated, then asked, "Where are you sleeping, Riley?"

"Me?" Riley asked, pointing to herself as though never having been asked that question before. "I'm still outside in the tent. I mean, there's enough room in the house, don't get me wrong, but there's something about living in a ten that's only twenty-four square feet and yet has five bedrooms in it and a study, that I have come to love."

Harry smiled and said, "Good night, Riley."

"Night, Harry," Riley said with a chuckle, watching Harry leave the room.

Fred and George's bedroom was on the second floor. As Harry walked in, his wand illuminating the room with white light, he was surprised to see how big it was. There were two full-sized beds, two dressers, a wash stand, a bathroom, and a large window that pointed out in the direction that Harry had come. Once again, he felt impressed at Riley and Aria's work, only tempered by his drowsiness and the sight of a warm, comfortable bed.

* * *

Seconds later, or so it seemed to Harry, he was awakened by what sounded like cannon fire as the door burst open. Sitting bolt upright, he heard the rasp of the curtains being pulled back: the Dazzling sunlight seemed to poke him hard in both eyes. Shielding them with one hand, he groped hopelessly for his glasses with the other.

"Wuzzgoinon?"

"Harry!" a high-pitched girl squealed, and Harry was suddenly thrown back onto his bed as arms flung around him.

"What the heck?" Harry muttered.

"Sorry, Harry," the voice said.

Harry blinked several times, and then felt himself being hit by something over the head as someone said, "We didn't know you were here already!"

"Ron, don't hit him!" said a girl's voice reproachfully. "And Aria, don't _strangle_ him, or he won't be able to breathe."

Harry's hand found his glasses and he shoved them on, though the light was so bright he could hardly see anyway. A long, looking shadow quivered in front of him for a moment; he blinked and Ron Weasley came into focus, grinning down at him. Beside him, Aria Hardwick was smiling, her arms folded.

"All right?"

"Never been better," said Harry, rubbing the top of his head and slumping back onto his pillows. "You?"

"Not bad," said Ron, pulling over a cardboard box and sitting on it. "When did you get here? Mum's only just told us."

"Yeah, and she said that lazy wolf was still sleeping after having seen you come in, too," Aria said, rolling her eyes with an exasperated smile.

"About one o'clock this morning, and I think I woke Riley up when I came in. Your Mum was talking to me and she came in, complaining that we were too loud."

"A mouse squeaking would be too loud to her," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Were the Muggles all right? Did they treat you okay?"

"Same as usual," said Harry as Hermione perched herself on the edge of his bed, "they didn't talk to me much, but I like it better that way. How're you, Hermione?"

"Oh, I'm fine," said Hermione, who was scrutinizing Harry as though he was sickening for something. "Just came in myself, was shocked to see the house this way."

"_You_ may be shocked," Ron said with a snort. "But I'm _thrilled_. We all have our own rooms now, _and_ Malfoy can't pick on us for having a 'shoddy tin-roofed one-bedroom' anymore."

Harry couldn't help but smile at that. Then he asked, "What's the time? Have I missed breakfast?"

"You and the wolf, yeah," Aria said, nodding.

"Don't worry about that," said Ron, rolling his eyes. "Mum's bringing you up a tray; she reckons you look underfed. So, what's been going on?"

"Nothing much, I've just been stuck at my aunt and uncle's, haven't I?"

"Come off it!" said Ron. "You've been off with Dumbledore!"

"It wasn't that exciting. He just wanted me to help him persuade this old teacher to come out of retirement. His name's Horace Slughorn."

"Oh," Ron said, sounding surprised. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Now Umbridge has left, obviously we need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, don't we? So, er, what's he like?"

"He looks a bit like a walrus, and he used to be Head of Slytherin," said Harry. "Something wrong, Hermione?"

She was watching him as though expecting strange symptoms to manifest themselves at any moment. She rearranged her features hastily in an unconvincing smile. "No, of course not! So, um, did Slughorn seem like he'll be a good teacher?"

"Dunno," said Harry. "He can't be worse than Umbridge, can he?"

"I know someone who's worse than Umbridge," said a voice from the doorway. Ron's younger sister slouched into the room, looking irritable. "Hi, Harry."

"What's up with you?" Ron asked.

"It's her," said Ginny, plonking herself down on Harry's bed. "She's driving me mad."

"What's she done now?" asked Hermione sympathetically.

"It's the way she talks to me – you'd think I was about three!"

"Come on, she's not _that_ bad," Aria said, rolling her eyes with a smile.

"Yes she is!" both girls said in unison.

"She's so full of herself," Hermione added.

Harry was astonished to hear Hermione talking about Mrs. Weasley like this and could not blame Ron for saying angrily, "Can't you two lay off her for five seconds?"

"Oh, that's right, defend her," snapped Ginny. "We all know you can't get enough of her."

This seemed an odd comment to make about Ron's mother. Starting to feel that he was missing something, Harry said, "Who are you –"

But his question was answered before he could finish it. The bedroom door flung open again, and Harry instinctively yanked the bedcovers up to his chin so hard that Hermione and Ginny slid off the bed onto the floor.

A young woman was standing in the doorway, a woman of such breathtaking beauty that the room seemed to have become strangely airless. She was tall and willowy with long blonde hair and appeared to emanate a faint, silvery glow. To complete this vision of perfection, she was carrying a heavily laden breakfast tray.

"'Arry!" she said in a throaty voice. "Eet 'as been too long!" As she swept over toward him, Mrs. Weasley was revealed, bobbing along in her wake, looking rather cross.

"There was no need to bring up the tray, I was just about to do it myself!"

"Eet was no trouble," said Fleur Delacour, setting the tray across Harry's knees and then swooping to kiss him on each cheek: He felt the places where her mouth had touched him burn. "I 'ave been longing to see 'im. You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you again."

"Oh... is she here, too?" Harry croaked.

"No, no, silly boy," said Fleur with a twinkling laugh. "I mean next summer, when we – but do you not know?"

Her great blue eyes widened and she looked reproachfully at Mrs. Weasley, who said, "We hadn't got around to telling him that yet."

Fleur turned back to Harry, swinging her silvery sheet of hair so that it whipped Mrs. Weasley across the face. "Bill and I are going to be married!"

"Oh," said Harry blankly. He could not help noticing how Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Ginny were all determinedly avoiding one another's gazes. "Wow. Er – congratulations!"

She swooped down upon him and kissed him again. "Bill is very busy at ze moment, working very 'ard, and I only work part-time at Gringotts for my Eenglish, so he brought me 'ere for a few days to get to know 'is family properly. I was so pleased to 'ear you would be coming – zere isn't much to do 'ere, unless you like cooking and chickens! Well – enjoy your breakfast, 'Arry!" With these words she turned gracefully and seemed to float out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Mrs. Weasley made a noise that sounded like "tchah!"

"Mum hates her," said Ginny quietly.

"I do not hate her!" said Mrs. Weasley in a cross whisper. "I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!"

"They've known each other a year," said Ron, who looked oddly groggy and was staring at the closed door.

Before Mrs. Weasley could open her mouth, Aria said with a smile, "I have heard enough insulting of my friend already for one week, Mrs. Weasley, come on!" She then grabbed Molly Weasley by the arm and led her out, not giving her a chance to argue.

All four kids watched with dismay as Aria literally dragged Mrs. Weasley out of the room, in spite of her trying to call out after them. "That was amazing," Ginny said, her jaw dropped.

"I still haven't gotten used to the way Mum lets her do that," Ron said, blinking several times as though to make sure what he'd just seen was real.

"You know," Hermione said with a smile. "I think Aria is the only one who can get away with that, _including_ Mr. Weasley!"

"Yeah," Ginny said with a scoff, looking at Hermione. "Because Aria's the only one who helps her cook."


	2. Chapter 2: Scores At Last

Chapter Two: Scores At Last

Harry watched with some amusement and some dismay as Mrs. Weasley tried to help heal Hermione's bruised eye. "This has always worked before," she said, completley perplexed. "I just can't understand it.

"It'll be Fred and George's idea of a funny joke, making sure it can't come off," said Ginny.

"But it's got to come off!" squeaked Hermione. "I can't go around looking like this forever!"

"Learn to transform yourself," Riley said with a smile from where she was standing, leaning against the doorway with her arms folded and legs crossed. "Then you can wait 'til it wears off."

Aria had gone out and rudely woken Riley up by blowing a blowhorn two foot from her head, which to a normal person would be bad enough, but to someone whose hearing is forty times more attuned than a normal human's, it was no surprise that Riley sent two hexes after Aria – though why she slept with her wand in her hand, Harry could never guess – who laughed as she ran away. Harry later found out from Ginny that this was a normal occurrence for the two.

"I've got enough things on my plate without trying to become an Animagus illegally, thank you, Riley," Hermione said sarcastically.

Riley smiled and said in amusement, "Wow, look who's grumpy now?"

The others laughed while Hermione jumped up and started walking round and round the kitchen, twisting her fingers together. "Mrs. Weasley, you're quite, quite sure no owls have arrived this morning?"

"Yes, dear, I'd have noticed," said Mrs. Weasley patiently "But it's barely nine, there's still plenty of time..."

"I know I messed up Ancient Runes," muttered Hermione feverishly. "I definitely mad at least one serious mistranslation. And the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical was no good at all. I thought Transfiguration went all right at the time, but looking back –"

"Hermione, will you shut up, you're not the only one who's nervous!" barked Ron. "And when you've got your eleven 'Outstanding' O.W.L.s..."

"Don't, don't, don't!" said Hermione, flapping her hands hysterically. "I know I've failed everything!"

"What happens if we fail?" Harry asked the room at large, but it was again Hermione who answered.

"We discuss our options with our Head of House, I asked Professor McGonogall at the end of last term."

Riley suddenly began laughing, throwing her head back as she continued to laugh uncontrollably, almost to the point of wheezing.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron asked, everyone stopping to look at Riley as though she was mad, even Fleur.

Riley shook her head and lowered it to face them, trying not to laugh too hard. "Oh, it's nothing," she laughed, struggling hard to calm down. "It's just... _heh, heh_... can you imagine old Snape's face if I showed up with all failing grades? Can you imagine how _that_ conversation would go?"

Suddenly, everyone's mood lightened and Harry couldn't help but smile. He could just imagine any last ounce of color in Snape's face draining and a positively livid and nauseous look on the horrible man's face. Everyone else smiled at this thought.

"Now, don't go mocking Severus Snape, you hear me?" Molly Weasley asked, though she was fighting hard to stop the smile that crept at the corners of her mouth. "He is –"

Her words were suddenly drowned in a scream. Hermione was pointing through the kitchen windows. Five black specks were clearly visible in the sky, growing larger all the time.

"They're definitely owls," said Ron hoarsely, jumping up to join Hermione at the window.

"And there are five of them," Harry said, hastening to her other side.

"One of for each of us," said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Oh no... oh no... oh no..." She gripped both Harry and Ron tightly around their elbows.

The owls were flying directly at the Burrow, three handsome tawnies, one white and one a goldish-brown and white. Harry smiled when he saw Hedwig come flying in, and he recognized Riley's owl, Sunny, fly over to her. They all dropped envelopes into the hands of one of the five kids, Sunny stopping to sit on Riley's shoulder and get stroked on the chest by her soft finger.

"Oh no!" squealed Hermione.

Harry took his envelope and at last, opened it. As he looked down at them, he couldn't help but feel proud.

Harry looked around. Riley was looking down at hers with a smile on her face, not smug and not disappointed, but just a general smile, and Aria looked crestfallen. Harry couldn't imagine why. She was the best student in the entire school at Potions, but then he remembered that there were at least eight other classes to consider, and he had no idea how she was in any of those. Hermione had her back to him and her head bent, but Ron was looking delighted.

"Only failed Divination and History of Magic, and who cares about them?" he said happily to Harry. "Here – swap –"

Harry glanced down at Ron's grades. There were no "Outstandings" there...

"Knew you'd be top at Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Ron, punching Harry on the shoulder. "WE've done all right, haven't we?"

"Well done!" said Mrs. Weasley proudly, ruffling Ron's hair. "Seven O.W.L.s, that's more than Fred and George got together!"

"Hermione?" said Ginny tentatively, for Hermione still hadn't turned around. "How did you do?"

"I – not bad," said Hermione in a small voice.

"Oh, come off it," said Ron, striding over to her and whipping her results out of her hand. "Yep – ten 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations' at Defense Against the Dark Arts." He looked down at her, half-amused, half-exasperated. "You're actually disappointed, aren't you?":

Hermione shook her head, but Harry laughed.

Harry turned his head to look at the two girls and asked, "What about you two?"

"I'm satisfied," Riley said with a smile. "Ten 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations' in Arithmacy. Didn't really care for that class anyway." She smiled at Hermione, whose eyes lit up, and she said, "Guess we're still tied for top witch, huh, Hermione?" Hermione couldn't help but smile at this.

"Aria?" Ginny asked uncertainly, looking at Aria, who'd dropped her head.

Aria held her paper out, her head dropped in defeat. Ginny took the paper and looked down at it, smiling, only to frown.

"Oh," Ginny said, looking surprised.

"What?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Well, um," Ginny said, tilting her head to the side. "I'm just trying to figure out... how..."

"What is it?" Ron asked, Hermioen taking the paper and looking at it.

Hermione stared in disbelief, then turned to look at Aria as she exclaimed, "How do you almost fail Transfigurations when you're an Animagus, for crying out loud?!"

"What?!" Ron and Harry both exclaimed, taking the paper from Aria.

Sure enough, on the paper, it said:

Aria Thereesa Hardwick has achieved:

Astronomy O

Care of Magical Creatures E

Charms O

Defense Against the Dark Arts E

Ancient Runes E

Herbology E

History of Magic E

Potions O (no shocker there!)

Transfigurations A

"How did you manage _that_?" Riley exclaimed, looking at Aria. "I mean, you didn't _fail_ any of your exams, but how could you not get an 'Outstanding' in Transfigurations? _I_ got mine just for having _transformed_ in front of the guy! He even gave us our registration papers that day!"

"Well, I," Aria began awkwardly. "I kind of screwed up on my vanishing..."

"Aria," Ron said with a frown, "It says here that you corrected him, commented on his size, and were laughing so hard you vanished the head but not the rest of your kitten!"

"It slipped out!" Aria said, shrugging. "I had that short guy, and when I came in I couldn't help but laugh, and when he started chewing me out, I couldn't help but continue."

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "You'd better hope Professor McGonogall will let you continue with that."

"Oh, I"ll talk to her when we show up for school," Aria said, taking her

"Well, we're N.E.W.T. students now!" grinned Ron.

Harry continued listening to the others laugh, and he couldn't help but look back at his own scores, wondering just where he would get with them.


	3. Chapter 3: Diagon Alley

Chapter Three: Diagon Alley

Harry and the others stayed at the Burrow for the next few weeks. With there being more and more turn-ups all over the place, Harry's birthday became an understated event, at least by Mrs. Weasley's standards. Harry was surprised when Remus Lupin came into the house, looking completely warn out and drained of all energy.

"There have been another couple of dementor attacks," he announced, as Mrs. Weasley passed him a large slice of birthday cake. "And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it – well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters; Sirius's brother, Regulus, only managed a few days as far as I can remember."

"Yes, well," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning, "perhaps we should talk about something diff –"

"Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus?" asked Bill, who was being plied with wine by Fleur. "The man who ran –"

"- the ice-cream place in Diagon Alley?" Harry interrupted with an unpleasant, hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. "He used to give me free ice creams. What's happened to him?"

"Dragged off, by the look of his place."

"Why?" asked Ron, while Mrs. Weasley pointedly glared at Bill.

"Who knows? He must've upset them somehow. He was a good man, Florean."

"Talking of Diagon Alley," said Mr. Weasley, "looks like Ollivadner's gone, too."

"The wandmaker?" said Ginny looking startled.

"That's the one. Shop's empty. No sign of a struggle. No one knows whether he left voluntarily or was kidnapped."

"But wands – what'll people do for wands?"

"They'll make do with other wandmakers," said Lupin. "But Ollivander was the best, and if the other side have got him it's no good for us."

The day after this rather gloomy birthday tea, their letters and booklists arrived from Hogwarts. Harry's included a surprise: He had been made Quidditch Captain.

"That gives you equal status with prefects!" cried Hermione happily. "You can use our special bathroom now and everything!"

"Wow, I remember when Charlie wore one of these," said Ron, examining the badge with glee. "Harry, this is so cool, you're my Captain – if you let me back on the team, I suppose, ha ha..."

"Riley, what's wrong?" Aria asked, surprising everyone.

Riley was looking down at her letter, a frown on her face. Harry stared at her in surprise, wondering if something bad had happened. Surely not another expulsion? This would truly be three strikes and she's out... No, it was something else...

Riley looked up, looking alarmed, and she shook her head as she said, "Nothing. I was just looking at the booklist. I've got thirteen classes this year. It's just a lot."

"How do you have thirteen classes?" Ron asked in disbelief.

Riley looked at Ron and explained, "I'm taking Arithmacy on my own, using the book version." She shrugged and said, "It gives me something to do while I'm in the dorm room."

"Well, I don't suppose we can put off a trip to Diagon Alley much longer now you've got these," sighed Mrs. Weasley, looking down Ron's booklist. "We'll go on Saturday as long as your father doesn't have to go into work again. I'm not going there without him."

While Ron and Mrs. Weasley argued, Harry couldn't help but notice that Riley's frown hadn't gone, and he knew it wasn't because of Arithmacy. She loved school and learning, even if she hated homework... No, something else was bothering her.

Saturday dawned without any more outbursts from Mrs. Weasley, though she seemed very tense at breakfast. Bill, who would be staying at home with Fleur (much to Hermione and Ginny's pleasure, though Riley hadn't seemed to care about her presence whatsoever) passed a full money bag across the table to Harry.

"Where's mine?" demanded Ron at once, his eyes wide.

"That's already Harry's, idiot," said Bill. "It got it out of your vault for you, Harry, because it's taking about five hours for the public to get their gold at the moment, the goblins have tightened security so much. Two days ago Arkie Philpott had a Probity Probe stuck up his... Well, trust me, this way's eaiser."

"Thanks, Bill," said Harry, pocketing his gold as Bill tossed Aria hers.

It was an overcast, murky day. One of the special Ministry of Magic cars, in which Harry had ridden once before, was awaiting them in the front yard when they emerged from the house, pulling on their cloaks, all of them except Riley, who was insane as usual and was just wearing her sleeveless leather vest over her tanktop.

"One of these days," Hermione said, looking at Riley in disbelief. "You are going to lose your arms from the sheer cold."

"Then I'll hobble over the place in my wolf form," Riley said with a grin. "Good thing I'm ambidextrous."

"It's good Dad can get us these again," said Ron appreciatively.

"Don't get used it it, it's only because of Harry," said Mrs. Weasley. "He's been given to-grade security status. And we'll be joining up with additional security at the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry couldn't help but smile as they came over Diagon Alley, when instead of Aurors that he'd been dreading would follow them, he found Hagrid, standing there and beaming up at them. As he got out, he prepared himself for what he knew was inevitable.

"Harry!" he boomed, sweeping Harry into a bone-crushing hug the moment Harry had stepped out of the car. "Buckbeak – Witherwings, I mean – yeh should see him, Harry, he's so happy ter be back in the open air –"

"Glad he's pleased," said Harry, grinning as he massaged his ribs. "We didn't know 'security' meant you!"

"I know, jus' like old times, innit? See, the Ministry wanted ter send a bunch o' Aurors, but Dumbledore said I'd do," said Hagrid proudly, throwing out his chest and tucking his thumbs into his pockets. "Let's get goin' then – after yeh, Molly, Arthur –"

The Leaky Cauldron was, for the first time in Harry's memory, completely empty. Only one, the landlord, wizened and toothless, remained of the old crowd. He looked up hopefully as they entered, but before he could speak, Hagrid said importantly, "Jus' passin' through today, Tom, sure yeh understand, Hogwarts business, yeh know."

Diagon Alley had changed. The colorful, glittering window display of spellbooks, potion ingredients and cauldrons were lost to view, hidden behind the large Ministry of Magic posters that had been pasted over them. Most of these somber purple posters carried blown-up versions of the security advice on the Ministry pamphlets that had been sent over the summer, but others bore moving black and white photographs of Death Eaters known to be on the looks. Bellatrix Lestrange was sneering from the front of those on Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

Harry stopped when he saw the witch's face, only to look over and see Riley staring at it. Her expression was blank, but Harry could see that she was tensing up, looking once again at the face of the woman who had, along with Voldemort, killed her parents. She'd taken out all of her rage against their murder, and the murder of her fellow Black Ravens, on Bellatrix the night that Harry and the others had gone to the Department of Mysteries. She'd battled Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy, gaining a scar across her cheek from him that would never diminish. It was past hope now. She was permanently marked by Lucius Malfoy. Still, right now, he could see her eyes going back and forth between angry and uncertain, as though part of her wanted to rip the poster apart, and part of her was refraining. In the end, she turned away and continued walking down the street, enabling Harry to let out the deep breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Mrs. Weasley looked Harry up and down and said, "I think we'd better do Madam Malkin's first. Hermione wants new dress robes, and Ron's showing too much ankle in his school robes, and you must need ones too, Harry, you've grown so much – come on, everyone..."

"Molly, it doesn't make sense for all of us to go to Madam Malkin's," said Mr. Weasley. "Why don't these five go with Hagrid, and we can go to Flourish and Blotts and get everyone's schoolbooks?"

"I don't know," said Mrs. Weasley anxiously, clearly torn between a desire to finish the shopping quickly and the wish to stick together in a pack. "Hagrid, do you think –"

"Don' fret, they'll be fine with me, Molly," said Hagrid soothingly, waving an airy hand the size of a dustbin lid.

"Um," Riley said awkwardly, looking over at Madam Malkin's store. "If you don't mind – and I don't mean to be rude, Hagrid – I think I'm going to go with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." She'd already began backing away, her eyes flickering around in panic.

"Riley," Aria asked, a confused look on her face. "Are you –"

"I'll meet you over there," Riley said to Ron's parents and ran off toward the bookstore, leaving everyone surprised.

"Um," Mr. Weasley said, sounding surprised. "All right, I guess we'll go with Riley." With that, they walked off.

Harry noticed that many of the people who passed them had the same harried, anxious look as Mrs. Weasley, and that nobody was stopping to talk anymore; the shoppers stayed together in their own tightly knit groups, moving intently about their business. Nobody seemed to be shopping alone.

The group made their way over toward the robes shop, only to hear a voice say from behind a rack of robes, "...not a child, in case you haven't noticed, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping _alone_."

There was a clucking noise and Harry recognized as that of Madam Malkin, the owner, as she said, "Now, dear, your mother's quite right, none of us is supposed to go wandering around on our own anymore, it's nothing to do with being a child –"

"Watch where you're sticking that pin, will you!"

A teenage boy with a pale, pointed face and white-blonde hair appeared from behind the rack, wearing a handsome set of dark green robes that glittered with pins around the hem and edges of the sleeves. Instantly, Harry recognized him, and only a moment later, he realized why Riley had run away.

It was Draco Malfoy!

For the past two years, Malfoy had been infatuated with Riley, to go as far as to say he wanted a romantic relationship with her. This had caused a lot of problems between Riley and Fred Weasley, whom she was now dating. Still, after Riley had made it very clear that she wasn't going to bend to the will of Umbridge, whom Malfoy had supported very much because of her disdain for the Gryffindors, Malfoy had begun to show his true colors in acting like a monster. It was his father, Lucius Malfoy, who had given her the scar on her face at the Department of Mysteries, all because she hadn't chosen Malfoy over Fred. Still, Harry knew that in her heart, Riley had been torn between the two until Malfoy began striking out at her in any way possible, and he was sure that the idea of seeing him was too much to handle now. The idea of Riley being intimidated by any one person so much made Harry boil with rage, and want to punch every inch of Malfoy all over again

"If you're wondering what the smell is, Mother, a Mudblood just walked in," said Draco Malfoy.

"I don't think there's any need for language like that!" said Madam Malkin, scurrying out from behind the clothes rack holding a tape measure and a wand. "And I don't want wands drawn in my shop either!" she added hastily, for a glance toward the door had shown her Harry and Ron both standing there with their wands out and pointing at Malfoy.

Hermione, who was standing slightly behind them with a steaming Aria, whispered, "No, don't, honestly, it's not worth it..."

"Yeah, like you'd dare do magic out of school," sneered Malfoy.

"_I_ would," Aria said, suddenly stepping out from behind Harry and Ron, her wand drawn and pointed right at Malfoy.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed, and Harry was surprised at the ferocity in her eyes. It hadn't diminished at all since last term when she'd transformed Malfoy into a pig.

"Wanna test me again, Malfoy?" Aria asked through narrowed eyes. "Harry and Ron might not be able to do anything, but _I'm_ overaged and have every right to practice magic outside of school, and there's _nothing_ more I'd enjoy than some nice, white bacon again."

Malfoy's eyes flashed with alarm, clearly thinking the same thing Harry was, imagining Malfoy running around, squealing again.

Narcissa Malfoy strolled out from behind the clothes rack. "Put that away," she said coldly to Aria. "If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever do."

"Really?" Aria asked, a smirk on her face as she continued to look at Draco. "Promise? I would _love_ to go out with the vision of Draco Malfoy lying on the ground, bleeding to death."

Narcissa's eyes flashed and she said, "Just try it."

"Really?" said Harry, taking a step forward and gazing into the smoothly arrogant face that, for all its pallor, still resembled her sister's. He was as tall as she was now. "Going to get a few Death Eater pals to do us in, are you?"

Madam Malkin squealed and clutched at her heart. "Really, you shouldn't accuse – dangerous things to say – wands away, please!"

But Aria didn't lower her wand, and Harry didn't ask her to. He himself was extremely close to redrawing his wand and attacking the Malfoys, just for the principal of the matter. Looking at Narcissa, he couldn't help but imagine Bellatrix, and he wanted more than anything to rip that face off, that smirk.

Narcissa Malfoy smiled unpleasantly. "I see that being Dumbledore's favorite has given you a false sense of security, Harry Potter. But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you."

"Harry's not the one with his wand pointed at your son's heart," Aria said darkly, almost too quiet to hear. She still didn't move her wand. "And it wasn't Dumbledore who instilled this sense of security, it's the training my best friend has taught me."

Harry was surprised by the way Malfoy narrowed his eyes at the mention of Riley. He didn't say anything, only narrowed his eyes, his mind clearly distracted. "If it's me that you have the problem with, take it up with me," Harry said, looking around mockingly. "Because... wow... look at that... Dumbledore's not here now! So why not have a go? They might be able to find you a double cell in Azkaban with your loser of a husband!"

Malfoy made an angry movement toward Harry, but stumbled over his overlong robe. Ron laughed loudly. "Don't you dare talk to my mother like that, Potter!" Malfoy snarled.

"It's all right, Draco," said Narcissa, restraining him with her thin white fingers upon his shoulder. "I expect Potter will be reunited with dear Sirius before I am reunited with Lucius."

Aria raised her wand higher, now pointing it at both mother and son, and she asked in a snarl, "Want to elaborate on that?" Hermione looked alarmed, but none of the three kids said anything, just watched.

Narcissa glared into the eyes of Aria, who Harry knew meant every word she said, and finally she said, "Come, Draco, abandon those robes and we'll do better at Twilfitt and Tatting's."

"Yes, Mother," Malfoy said, sneering as he pulled the robes off and dropped them at Madam Malkin's feet.

As soon as they were done, the group went out to see Hagrid standing outside, waiting for them. "Got ev'rything?" asked Hagrid brightly when they reappeared at his side.

"Just about," said Harry. "Did you see the Malfoys?"

"Yeah," said Hagrid, unconcerned. "Bu' they wouldn' dare make trouble in the middle o' Diagon Alley, Harry. Don' worry abou' them."

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged looks, but before they could disabuse Hagrid of this comfortable notion, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny appeared with Riley, all four clutching heavy packages of books.

"Holy cricket, Riley!" Hermione exclaimed, looking at the two large bags that Riley was barely managing to carry. "What all did you buy? Surely you don't need _that_ many books!"

"For school? Of course not," Riley said in a 'duh' tone as she sat down the bags. She grinned up at them stupidly and said, "But you have no idea how many amazing books they have. All these kinds of Defense Against the Dark Arts books, Charms books, Magical Creature Books, Potions..."

"Potions?" Aria, who'd been staring at the bags disbelievingly, looked up and her eyes brightened with interest. "Can I read them later?"

"Of course," Riley said. "But you have to carry one of these."

"Of course," Aria muttered bitterly while the others laughed and Riley shoved one of the bags into her arms.

Harry frowned as the group began to walk away, suddenly wondering just what had happened between Riley and Malfoy that had caused such fear and animosity from her. Something had happened during that time that they'd been alone outside of Hogwarts castle the night they'd left, the night when Malfoy had had probably fifteen minutes alone with her. In that time, he could have done anything to her, though Harry knew that the chances of him every finding out were pretty much flushed down the toilet.


	4. Chapter 4: Weasley's House of Jokes

Chapter Four: Weasley's House of Jokes

* * *

"_Whoa_!" said Ron, stopping in his tracks.

Riley and Aria both smiled, their eyes twinkling in amusement as they looked at the place in front of them. Set against the dull-poster-muffled shop fronts around them, Fred and George's windows hit the eye like a firework display. Casual passerby were looking back over their shoulders at the windows, and a few rather stunned-looking people had actually come to a halt, transfixed. The left-handed window was dazzling full of an assortment of goods that revolved, popped, flashed, bounced, and shrieked; Harry's eyes began to water just looking at it. The right-hand window was covered with a gigantic poster, purple like those of the ministry, but emblazoned with flashing yellow letters:

WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT

YOU-KNOW-WHO?

YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT

U-NO-POO

THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION

THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!

Riley and the others started to laugh. She could hear a weak sort of moan beside her and looked over to see Mrs. Weasley gazing, dumbfounded, at the poster. Instantly, Riley shut up, trying to pretend to be serious, though it was very hard.

"_They'll be murdered in their beds!_" she whispered, though the rage was unmistakable in her voice.

"No they won't!" said Ron, who, like Harry, was laughing. "This is brilliant!"

And he and Harry led the way into the shop. Riley and Aria wanted until the others had gone through, having been in there more than once. Riley couldn't help but smile at their expressions, and at what they saw. Surrounding them were the same Skiving Snackboxes that the twins had perfected during their last, unfinished year at Hogwarts. Riley looked around for the twins and was amused when she saw people running all over.

"'Patented Daydream Charms...'"

Hermione had managed to squeeze through to a large display near the counter and was reading the information on the back of a box bearing a highly colored pictures of a handsome youth and a swooning girl who were standing on the deck of a pirate ship.

"'One simple incantation and you will enter a to-quality highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens.' You know," said Hermione, looking over at Harry, "that really is extraordinary magic!"

"For that, Hermione,' said a voice behind them, one that made Riley brighten up and spin around. "you can have one for free."

A beaming Fred stood before them, wearing a set of royal blue robes that matched beautifully with his flaming orange hair. (He'd intended to wear magenta, but Riley and Aria had both adamantly put their feet down on that one, and while they didn't control every aspect of their boyfriends' lives, they weren't about to let them get away with a horrible color combination such as that)

"Thought I heard voices," a familiar voice said, and Riley turned her head to see George walking over in an even darker blue set of robes.

"_Hello_," Fred said as he and George opened their arms up to their girlfriends, each girl walking up and kissing one of the twins (Aria having to get up on her tiptoes to kiss George without him leaning over).

Riley pulled her head back and swung her hair over one of her shoulders, smiling at Fred as she said gently, "Hi."

"Hi," Fred said, looking her back in the eyes.

Harry turned to look away, as did Mrs. Weasley. Riley smiled and entangled her left fingers with Fred's right, similar to Aria and George. "Come on," she said brightly. "We'll give you guys the tour."

They walked around and they stopped first at a stand with cards and rope tricks. "Muggle magic tricks!" said Fred, pointing happily at them. "For freaks like Dad, you know, who love Muggle stuff. It's not a big earner, but we do fairly steady business, they're great novelties."

"Come on, Harry," George said with a smile. "Come through the back, that's where we're making the real money – _pocket anything, you, and you'll pay in more than Galleons!_" he added warningly to a small boy who hastily whipped his hand out of the tub labeled EDIBLE DARK MARKS – THEY'LL MAKE ANYONE SICK!

George pushed back a curtain beside the Muggle tricks and opened the way up to a darker, less crowded room. The packaging on the products lining these shelves was more subdued.

"We've just developed this more serious line," Fred responded with a proud and intriguing expression.

"You wouldn't believe how many people, even people who work at the Ministry, can't do a decent Shield Charm," George added with a similar tone and expression. "'Course, they didn't have _you_ teaching them, Harry."

"That's right... Well, we thought Shield Hats were a bit of a laugh, you know, challenge your mate to jinx you while wearing it and watch his face when the jinx bounces off. But the Ministry bought five hundred for all its support staff! And we're still getting massive orders!"

"So we've expanded into a range of Shield Cloaks, Shield Gloves..."

"And who's helping you with all of this stuff?" Harry asked knowingly, glancing at Riley and Aria, both of whom blushed.

"I've been helping them with the edible stuff," Aria said with a smile.

"And I've been helping with the defensive stuff," Riley said, shrugging. "But soon they'll be on their own, because we'll be out of here."

"Yeah," Fred said with a smile, then brightened up as he added, "Hey, I heard you got your Prefect's badge back."

"What?" Harry and Aria asked in surprise, looking at Riley in astonishment.

Riley opened her mouth, only to glare at Fred and asked, "Who told you?"

"Dumbledore slipped it while he was here the other day," George smiled over at Riley.

"_Dumbledore_ came in here?" Harry asked, sounding surprise.

George nodded and said, "Yeah, wanted some basic stuff, mostly for his amusement..."

"Is it not okay that we know?" Fred asked, looking at Riley in confusion and uncertainty.

Riley smiled and shrugged as she said, "No, it's fine, I just hadn't told anyone yet. I got my badge back with my book list and was told that because Dumbledore was taking his place as Headmaster again, that he wanted to return me to my rightfully earned position. It's great, really."

Fred smiled, and George then turned back to say, "And then we thought we'd get into the whole area of Defense Against the Dark Arts, because it's such a money spinner. Riley's helped us out a lot here. This is cool. Look, Instant Darkness Powder, we're importing it from Peru. Handy if you want to make a quick escape."

"And our Decoy Detonators are just walking off the shelves, look," said Fred, pointing at a number of weird-looking black horn-type objects that were indeed attempt to scurry out of sight. "You just drop one surreptitiously and it'll run off and make a nice loud noise out of sight, giving you a diversion if you need one."

"Handy," said Harry, sounding impressed.

"Here," said George, catching a couple and throwing them to Harry.

"Hey, George," Fred said, looking from Riley to his brother. "Mind if you take care of the business for a little while, show Harry around some more? I want to show Riley what we've done with the new ingredients for the O.W.L.s preparations stuff."

George and Aria raised their eyebrows knowingly, but Harry didn't seem to catch the drift. "Sure, bro," George said, steering them away. "Come on, Harry. Catch up when you can, Fred!"

* * *

Riley smiled as she kissed Fred back, her mind on nothing else. She held onto his neck, his hands on her waist as she stood with her back to the wall. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he pulled his head back and smiled at her, a teasing look in her eyes.

"You like the display outside?" he asked curiously.

Riley smiled and said, "Oh yeah. Your mom is going to kill you for it later."

"Let her," Fred leaned over, kissing Riley shortly before asking, "And when she finds out that you edited it for us, before we posted it for the first time?"

Riley leaned her head back and sighed as she said, "I'm going to be looking for a new home."

"That's what I thought," Fred said with an even wider grin, only to lean over and and begin kissing her again.

She smiled and pulled her head back, frowning at him. "I'm happy that you two are doing so well here, it's just a bummer that you can't still be at the house."

"I know," Fred said, sighing as he said one hand on the wall beside her head. "It's been really dull around here without the family."

"Just the family?" Riley asked with a grin, pretending to sound hurt.

Fred chuckled and said, "True, you bring a _little_ excitement to my life."

"Just a little?" Riley asked as he leaned over to kiss her again.

"Just a little," he repeated with a teasing grin.

Fred heard a commotion outside and several people talking, and he pulled his lips away, moaning as he set his head down on her shoulder, leaning against her. Someone yelled, "Fred! Get out here now!"

Riley chuckled and said, "Go on."

"Wanna help me?" Fred asked, looking up at her. "It means I'll be done sooner."

Riley rolled her eyes and said in a mock exasperated tone, "If I must."

"Thank you," Fred said, rolling his eyes leaning over and kissing Riley again, but this time it was short and sweet.

Riley sighed as Fred stepped back and rolled her eyes before standing up and following him out of the room. As they walked down the staircase that led back into the shop, her face fell instantly and she froze, a hand still on the staircase. She felt every inch of her body prickle nervously, and felt as though her breathing had suddenly stopped. She couldn't breathe, couldn't even think, as she looked down at the person standing at one of the shelves, looking up at her with his hands on several items. Fred stopped and looked back in surprise, clearly wondering why she'd stopped moving, and followed her gaze to the shelf three down from where he was standing.

Draco Malfoy was standing there, looking up at Riley with a calm gaze.

He continued staring at her for several moments, then looked at Fred for a brief second before looking back at what he was handling. Riley felt her entire body go numb, completely cold. It as like a lightning bolt had hit her, the flashbacks that raced to her mind. She could almost feel the feeling of ropes suddenly wrapping themselves around her wrists behind her back, and her ankles so that she couldn't move, not to mention the one around her neck pulling her up and out of mobility. She could still feel Lucius's thumb against the back of her hand, rubbing the already-burning scars that had been left by Umbridge's detentions. She could still hear the screams of herself and her friends, and feel the pain, as his wand raked across her face, and along the base of the back of her neck. She could still remember the excruciating pain of undergoing the Cruciatus Curse, a torture caused by Bellatrix cursing Neville and controlling him; the memories of Draco ripping open huge gashes beneath her clothes and mocking her with every breath he took... hating her for choosing Fred over him... She could still see those eyes, the eyes of him and his father, as they tried to beat the will and life out of her, still so fresh in her mind that it was as though they'd only just left her presence. She could feel a chill run up her spine, and the desire to turn around and run.

"Riley," Fred said in a firm, clear voice.

Riley looked down at Fred, and judging by the firm and concerned look in his eyes, she realized that she must have gone extremely pale and stopped breathing. She continued down the stairs and walked over to stand beside him, struggling to find her breath. She walked up beside Fred, her head lowered, and she felt him come closer and whisper, "Want me to throw him out?"

"No," Riley whispered, swallowing hard as she felt her lips go dry. "No, just... just go help George."

"Are you sure?" Fred whispered ever so slightly.

No. Riley didn't want him to leave, didn't want to see Draco again. Still, she said quietly, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

As Fred hesitated before walking away, Riley once again cursed herself for not having told Fred the truth about what had happened between her and Draco after Harry and their friends had been caught sneaking into Umbridge's office. She hadn't told anyone, not even Aria, the full extent of what had happened that night. She knew that if she did, Draco would surely die, if not by Aria's hand, then by Fred and George's. George was like her big brother, and very protective of her, almost as much as he was of Aria.

Riley swallowed hard, closing her eyes as she tried to breathe easily. She then opened her eyes and walked over to the cash register, where she saw a woman with blonde hair and wearing blue robes as well, looking extremely overwhelmed.

"Verity, it's all right," Riley said gently. "I can take care of this."

The woman looked relieved as she sighed and said, "Thank you, Miss O'Malley."

"Please, Verity," Riley said with a smile. "Call me 'Riley'. I'd really appreciate it."

"Thank you, _Riley_," Verity said, nodding in appreciation. "I'll be back out in a few minutes."

"Take as long as you need," Riley said, waving to her.

Verity walked off and Riley took over for her, doing many transactions and smiling as she thought of how far Fred and George had come, from making twenty-six Galleons in two months at Hogwarts, to making fifty or more per day here. Business was booming, and they were happy doing what they loved.

Riley was finishing with her twelfth customer when she saw someone put down several Instant Darkness Powders on the counter, as well as half a dozen Decoy Detonators. Riley took them and ran them through the cash register, only to look up and freeze again when she gazed into those piercing blue eyes... She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, then opened them and said in a clear, flat voice, "Draco."

"Riley," Draco said in a voice to match hers, though his eyes were actually gentle and filled with attraction. "How are you?"

"Fine," Riley said, continually running the items and numbers through the register.

"Didn't look it earlier," Draco observed in an intrigued tone. "Looked ready to throw up, if you could have even breathed at that point."

"I'm _fine_," Riley insisted quietly, though it was a lie. Standing so close to him, even with a counter in between them, she wanted to slug him and run away at the same time.

"You gonna stay in Slytherin this year?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Riley said simply. "Dumbledore even gave me my Prefect's badge back."

Draco scoffed and muttered under his breath, "Won't Pansy be happy to hear that? She'll be madder than a hungarian horntail with a wand shoved up its rear."

"Pansy can go shove her mouth up a drain," Riley muttered back. "She only got that badge because Umbridge hated me, and because she wanted a trustworthy, _loyal_ Slytherin to act as her spy, especially on my."

"True," Draco admitted, not bothering to argue at all. He then glanced sideways (in the direction that Fred had disappeared in) only to look back at Riley and say aloud, "So, I see you and Weasley are still together."

"You're right. We are," Riley said abruptly, glancing up at him briefly while totaling up the numbers as he grabbed a few Patented Daydream Charms and set them down. "That'll be six Galleons, three Sickles and eight Knuts," she said halfheartedly.

Draco reached forward to drop the money in her hand, only for his hand to gently touch hers - almost to the point of trying holding it. Of course, she couldn't be sure, but Riley had the unnerving sensation that his hand nearly completely enclosing hers had been intentional. She gasped slightly and dropped the money on the counter, causing a loud clatter. A few people looked over, and Riley set her hand down on the counter, lowering her head instinctively. She raised it, looking at Draco was looking at her with clear eyes, no surprise or alarm in them, only a blank clarity. Her eyes locked with his, and for a moment, she couldn't breathe.

"Draco, let's get one thing straight," Riley whispered, just barely loud enough for him to hear. "I'm with Fred, so just..." She could barely speak, and then she struggled to say, "Just stay the hell away from me." She took off, walking out the back door and away from the shop with a hand over her mouth.

* * *

Draco watched Riley as she left, an eyebrow raised curiously. He heard someone come up behind him and said firmly, "Get your stuff and get out."

Draco turned around and saw Fred and George Weasley standing there, both of their eyes narrowed and George with his arms crossed.

"No problem," Draco said, grabbing his bag. "I got what I came for; no more business here. Oh, and keep the change." With that, he walked out, smiling to himself as he passed glaring eyes.

* * *

Riley walked as far away as she could until she found a tree, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. She stood with her back to it, leaning her head back against it while closing her eyes, struggling to breathe normally. She looked back at the store, unable to think of going back there until she knew that he wasn't there anymore. Riley set a hand on the back of her neck, as she often did when she was thinking. She shrunk down to her butt and rolled her eyes back, feeling that scar underneath her fingers, passing from one edge of her neck to the other. Somehow, seeing him had been bad enough. Touching him... feeling the fingers that had hexed her, jinxed her, and whose father had torn her to pieces... she just couldn't...


	5. Chapter 5: The Slug Club

Chapter Five: The Slug Club

Riley didn't return with them. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley couldn't understand what had happened when Riley didn't return to the shop. Harry was puzzled, too, but he knew it must have something to do with her encounter with Malfoy. He'd seen him standing at the cash register, and heard her drop money, only to storm out of the store. He'd seen Fred and George storm up behind them, surprised at how protective George seemed to be of his brother's girlfriend, and he wondered just how close the four had grown over the summer. He'd always been close to Riley, as a friend, but that look in his eyes was like that feeling Harry felt whenever Malfoy called Hermione a Mudblood.

When they arrived at home, Harry was surprised to hear from Aria that Riley was asleep in her tent with half a dozen out of two dozen Butterbeers completely gone, and that she would probably be out for the rest of the night. She didn't come out the next day, and Aria was the one who took her her food. Harry felt both concerned and confused, wondering just what could have happened to have made Riley pull away from everyone else.

* * *

Riley sighed as she and the others stood on the stand to wait for the Hogwarts Express. Like normal, she was wearing her black vest, but today she was wearing a black haltertop beneath it, one that left about an inch of bare skin between her shirt and her jeans. It was more skin than she usually showed, but today, she didn't care. She was on her way to Hogwarts!

Riley waited until it was in front of them before getting on, not willing to take any chances. She carried her one backpack, her trunk already loaded, and leaving Sunny with Harry and Hedwig. She then headed down to the Prefect's compartment. She was surprised when she saw Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot already sitting inside, talking to one another excitedly. When Riley opened the door and walked in, she saw them look at her in surprise.

"Riley!" Hannah said, clearly pleased. "You got your Prefect's badge back!"

"Yeah," Riley said, sitting down and pulling her vest off, setting it back on her seat. "Dumbledore gave it to me with my booklist."

"That's great," Ernie said with a smile. "You're loads better to be around than Pansy Parkinson."

"Are you going to be on the Quidditch team this year?" Hannah asked curiously. "Rumor is that Draco Malfoy's going to be the Captain."

Riley smiled and said, "I'll be on the Quidditch team, don't worry about that."

"I'm going out for Chaser," Hannah said, beaming. "I've never played before... but I'm getting pretty good, I guess."

"That's good," Riley said with a smile. "I enjoy playing against friends. Loads better than playing against enemies." She looked at Ernie and asked, "So, Ernie, did you do well on your O.W.L.s? I remember you were freaked out about them."

"Oh yeah," Ernie said brightly. "Really good. I got eight O.W.L.s! I got four 'Outstandings', two 'Exceeds Expectations' and two 'Acceptables'. I almst failed Divination, but I'm not really into that stuff, and I don't need it in order to work as a Healer."

"I got nine O.W.L.s," Hannah said proudly. "Even passed Divination, but it was slim. I only got an 'Acceptable' in that. What about you, Riley?" Hannah asked curiously.

"Ten 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations'," Riley said with a smile, shrugging.

"No surprise there," Ernie said with a smile. "With all those classes you and Hermione take, it's no wonder you did well."

"Um, excuse me," a nervous voice said as the door slid open.

Riley turned her head and saw a young third-year girl standing there, looking at Riley with uncertain eyes. "I, I'm supposed to deliver this to Riley O'Malley."

"That's me," Riley said, curious as the girl handed her a scroll of parchment tied with a violet ribbon. She nodded to the girl, indicating she was done, and the girl scurried away.

"What's that, Riley?" Hannah asked curiously.

Riley shrugged and said, "I haven't the slightest clue." She began to unroll it, then raised an eyebrow in surprise when she saw what it read.

_Miss Riley, O'Malley_

_I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor H. E. F. Slughorn_

"Who's Professor Slughorn?" Hannah asked, confused as she looked at Riley's invitation.

"New teacher, I guess," Riley said, completely dumbfounded. "Why on earth would he... does he not realize that I'm a Prefect and have to rotate out with Hermione and Ron?"

"Maybe he hasn't heard yet," Ernie suggested, looking at the invitation.

"I can cover for you," Hannah said with a friendly smile. "I'll take two shifts."

"Thanks, Hannah," Riley muttered in annoyance. "I'll find a way to make it up to you."

Hannah looked at her with twinkling eyes and said teasingly, "I'll remember that come Quuidditch season."

Riley groaned and rolled her eyes as she stood up and walked out. She was walking down toward the lunch compartment when she saw Harry and Neville in the aisle, too. When she called out to them, they looked over at her in surprise.

"Hi, Riley," Neville said brightly. "How are you?"

"I'm all right," Riley said brightly. "You?"

"Not bad," Neville admitted, and went on to brag about his new wand.

While they walked together peacefully enough, Riley could sense that NEville felt incredibly uncomfortable around her. She knew why, too; Last year, when they'd gone to the Department of Mysteries, Bellatrix Lestrange had used the Imperius Curse on Neville in order to force him to use the Cruciatus Curse, the very curse that had tortured his parents into insanity, on Riley. Since then, he'd been a total wreck, completely guilty and miserable.

When they reached comaprtment C, they saw at once that they were not Slughorn's only invitees, although judging by the enthusiasm of Slughorn's welcome, Riley guessed that Harry was the most warmly anticipated.

"Harry, m'boy!" said Slughorn, jumping up at the sight of him so that his great velvet-covered belly seemed to fill all the remaining space in the compartment. His shiny bald head and great silvery mustache gleamed as brightly in the sunlight as the golden buttons on his waistcoat. "Good to see you, good to see you! And you must be Mr., Longbottom!"

Neville nodded, looking scared. As they moved to the side, revealing Riley, Slughorn's eyes brightened with interest. "And this must be Riley O'Malley, daughter of Helen Mask and Stephen O'Malley."

"Yes, Professor," Riley said, smiling politely as she nodded to the man.

When she shook the Professor's hand, he turned her right hand over and looked directly at the silver ring that she'd been wearing for the last two years. He smiled up at her and winked knowingly, saying, "Yes, my dear, I think you'll enjoy being here very much."

Riley wondered if he knew the significance of this ring, that it had been an heirloom among the women in her family, all the way back to her great-great grandmother, Rona Ravenclaw, sister of Rowena Ravenclaw, and engraved in Parstletongue. She'd come across it during the TriWizard Tournament, and hadn't taken it off except for during the Third Task since, when the Healers had taken it off of her during her treatment.

Riley looked around and recognized one of the students as a sixth year from Slytherin, Blaise Zabini. He wasn't one of her biggest supporters, but the look he gave her was filled with less loathing than the one he gave Harry and Neville, which was a source of slight comfort. She also saw a seventh-year Gryffindor, another seventh-year taht she didn't know, and Riley's eyes brightened when she saw Ginny, who didn't look happy, but who brightened when she saw Riley.

"Now, do we know everyone?" Slughorn asked the newcomers. "Blaise Zabini in your year, of course. I'm sure Riley is more than well-acquainted with him."

"We know each other well enough," Riley said in a curt voice, nodding to Blaise. He nodded back, but said nothing. Zabini did not make any sign of greeting or recognition toward Harry and Neville, and they didn't in return: on a whole – Riley being the exception – Slytherin and Gryffindor students loathed each other on principle.

"This is Cormac McLaggen, perhaps you've come across each other –? No?"

McLaggen, a large, wiry-haired youth, raised a hand, and Harry and Neville nodded back at him.

"And this is Marcus Belby, I don't know whether –"

Belby, who was thin and nervous-looking, gave a strained smile.

"And this charming young lady says that she knows all three of you," Slughorn finished.

Ginny grimaced at the newcomers from behind Slughorn's back.

"Well, now, this is most pleasant," said Slughorn cozily. "A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch; the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on licorice wands, and a poor old man's digestive system isn't quite up to such things... Pheasant, Belby?"

Belby started and accepted what looked like half a cold pheasant.

"I was just telling young Marcus here that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles," Slughorn told Harry and Neville, now passing around a basket of rolls. "Outstanding, outstanding, and his Order of Merlin most well-deserved. Do you see much of your uncle, Marcus?"

Unfortunately, Belby had just taken a large mouthful of pheasant; in his haste to answer Slughorn he swallowed too fast, turned purple, and began to choke.

Riley rolled her eyes and instinctively pulled out her wand, thinking, _Anapneo._

Belby's airways seemed to clear at once.

"Well done, Riley!" Slughorn said brightly, looking impressed. "I'm most impressed. Did you see that? Silent spells, and not even having had taken a sixth-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Five points to Slytherin."

"Professor," Neville said awkwardly. "I'm not sure that you can give points until the feast."

"Quite right, Mr. Longbottom," Slughorn said, nodding. "Very well, as soon as I can, you will be rewarded."

Riley stared at Slughorn, hiding her disbelief. This guy was a total freakshow! Ginny, who was sitting next to her, seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Now, Belby, you were saying?" Slughorn asked, looking back at Marcus Belby.

"Not... not much of him, no," gasped Belby, his eyes streaming.

"Well, of course, I daresay he's busy," said Slughorn, looking questioningly at Belby. "I doubt he invented the Wolfsbane Potion without considerable hard work!"

"I suppose..." said Belby, who seemed afraid to take another bite of pheasant until he was sure that Slughorn had finished with him. "Er... he and my dad don't get on very well, you see, so I don't really know much about..." His voice trailed away as Slughorn gave him a cold smile and turned to McLaggen instead.

"Now, you, Cormac," said Slughorn, "I happen to know you see a lot of your Uncle Tiberius, because he has a rather splendid picture of the two of you hunting nogtails in, I think, Norfolk?"

"Oh, yeah, that was fun, that was," said McLaggen. "We went with Bertie Higgs and Rufus Scrimgeour – this was before he became Minister, obviously –"

"Ah, you know Bertie and Rufus, too?" beamed Slughorn, now offering around a small tray of pies; somehow, Belby was missed out. "Now tell me..."

It was as Harry had suspected. Everyone here seemed to have been invited because they were connected to someone well-known or influential – everyone except Ginny. Zabini, who was interrogated after McLaggen, turned out to have a famously beautiful witch for a mother. It was Neville's turn next: This was a very uncomfortable ten minutes, for Neville's parents, well-known Aurors, had been tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange.

The moment she came up in the conversation, he could sense Riley stiffen beside him. He heard her take in a deep breath and saw her close her eyes, struggling to remain calm. He reached over underneath the table and set a hand on her left one, catching her attention. The look in his eyes was clear, and she smiled gratefully at him.

Next was Harry.

"'The Chosen One', they're calling you now!"

Harry said nothing. Belby, McLaggen and Zabini were all staring at him.

"Of course," said Slughorn, watching Harry closely, "there have been rumors for years... I remember when – well – after that terrible night – Lily – James – and you survived – and the word was that you must have powers beyond the ordinary –

Zabini gave a tiny little cough that was clearly supposed to indicate skepticism. An angry voice burst out from beside Riley.

"Yeah, Zabini, because _you're_ so talented... at posing..."

Ginny was glaring at Zabini with contempt, and when Zabini looked to Riley for back-up, she smiled and raised her hands defensively as she said, "You asked for it, dude." This only made him look even more mad.

"Anyway," said Slughorn, turning back to Harry. "_Such_ rumors this summer. Of course, one doesn't know what to believe, the _Prophet_ has been known to print inaccuracies, make mistakes – but there seems little doubt, given the number of witnesses, that there was _quite_ a disturbance at the Ministry and that you were in the thick of it all!"

Harry, who could not see any way out of this without flatly lying, nodded but still sad nothing. Slughorn beamed at him. "So modest, so modest, no wonder Dumbledore is so fond – you were there, then? But the rest of the stories – so sensational, of course, one doesn't know quite what to believe – this fabled prophecy, for instance –"

"We never heard a prophecy," said Neville, turning geranium pink as he said it.

"That's right," said Ginny staunchly. "Neville, Riley and I were all there, too, and all this 'Chosen One' rubbish is just the Prophet making things up as usual."

"She's right," Riley pitched in. "Harry's strong and skilled, no doubt, but this is just the Prophet's way of trying to put him out there and make-up for all the lies they made last year."

"You three were there, too, were you?" said Slughorn with great interest, looking between Ginny, Neville and Riley, but all three of them sat calmly before his encouraging smile. "Yes... well... it is true that the Prophet exaggerates, of course..." He sounded a little disappointed. He looked at Riley, suddenly brightening up as he said, "And then there's you, Miss Riley O'Malley."

Riley finished drinking a sip of water and set the goblet down, blinking calmly at Slughorn as she asked politely, "Yes, Professor?"

"Where do I begin with you?" Slughorn said, tapping his chin as he looked at Riley. "So many things to pick... To start with, a TriWizard Champion! And then there's of course your heritage..."

"Your heritage?" McLaggen asked with interest, looking at Riley curiously. "What's he mean by that?"

Harry saw Riley's eyes flash, and then calm down as she said, "Yes, Cormac, he's referring to my parents. They were of great influence while students at Hogwarts, being the Prefects and Head students for Gryffindor and Slytherin. Although, I'm afraid that they died shortly after leaving Hogwarts while pursuing a very dull line of work..." She stared right at Slughorn and said in a forced pleasant voice, "Isn't that correct, Professor?"

Harry looked between Riley and Slughorn uncertainly. To start with, he knew she was lying by the fact that she'd said her parents had been involved in a dull line of work. They had actually been the founders of an Anti-Dark Magic group – similar to the Order of the Phoenix – called the Black Ravens. It was true that they'd died young, but not until shortly before Harry's parents had died. Also, the look in her eyes and the way she spoke just told him that she was trying to cover up the fact that he was clearly interested in her because of her relation to the Ravenclaws, something she didn't want anyone other than Harry, Aria and Fred to know.

Slughorn stared right into Riley's eyes, seeming to understand the message, and he said, "Oh yes, quite so. So, Miss Weasley..."

The rest of the afternoon went on similarly, Slughorn bragging this way and that, the students barely staying awake to listen. He referred to them as the "Slug Club" at Hogwarts. Harry could not wait to leave, but couldn't see how to do so politely. Finally, the train emerged from yet another long misty stretch into a red sunset, and Slughorn looked around, blinking in the twilight.

"Good gracious, it's getting dark already! I didn't notice that they'd lit the lamps! You must go and change into your robes, all of you. McLaggen, you must drop by and borrow that book on nogtails. Harry, Blaise – any time you're passing. Same goes for you misses," he said, twinkling at Ginny and Riley. "Well, of you go, off you go!"

As he pushed past Riley and Harry into the darkening corridor, Zabini shot them both a filthy look that Harry returned with interest. He, Ginny, Riley and Neville followed him back along the train.

"I'm glad that's over," muttered Neville. "Strange man, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is a bit," said Harry, his eyes on Zabini.

"How come you ended up in there, Ginny?"

"He saw me hex Zacharias Smith," said Ginny. "You remember that idiot from Hufflepuff who was in the D.A.?"

How could he forget? Riley had silenced Zacharias at their first meeting, causing him to get royally pissed off at her, on top of the fact that she was from Slytherin. It had been a very difficult year with them. When Harry nodded, she continued.

"He kept on and on asking about what happened at the Ministry and in the end he annoyed me so much I hexed him – when Slughorn came in I thought I was going to get detention, but he thought it was a really good hex and invited me to lunch! Mad, eh?"

"At least you were chosen for your abilities," Riley said, leaning against one of the compartments. "We were chosen for our blood and fame."

Ginny nodded in agreement.

An idea had suddenly occurred to him, a reckless but potentially wonderful idea... In a minute's time, Zabini was going to reenter the Slytherin sixth-year compartment and Malfoy would be sitting there, thinking himself unheard by anybody except fellow Slytherins... If only Harry could enter, unseen, behind him, what might he not see or hear? True, there was little of the journey left – Hogsmeade Station had to be less than half an hour away, judging by the wildness of the scenery flashing by the windows – but nobody else seemed prepared to take Harry's suspicions seriously – and he wasn't going to talk to Riley about them when it was clear she was still so fragile –, so it was down to him to prove them.

"I'll see you guys later," said Harry under his breath, pulling his Invisibility Cloak and flinging it over himself.

'But what're you –?" asked Neville.

"Later!" whispered Harry, darting after Zabini as quietly as possible, though the rattling of the train made such caution almost pointlesss.

"Don't get into too much trouble!" Riley said with a grin as Harry took off.

The corridors were almost completely empty now. Nearly everyone had returned to their carriages to change into their school robes and pack up their possessions. Though he was as close as he could get to Zabini without touching him, Harry was not quick enough to slip into the compartment when Zabini opened the door. Zabini was already sliding it shut when Harry hastily stuck out his foot to prevent it closing.

"What's wrong with this thing?" said Zabini angrily as he smashed the sliding door repeatedly into Harry's foot.

Harry seized the door and pushed it open, hard; Zabini, still clinging on to the handle, toppled over sidways into Gregory Goyle's lap, and in the ensuing ruckus, Harry darted into the compartment, leapt onto Zabini's temporarily empty seat, and hoisted himself up into the luggage rack. It was fortunate that Goyle and Zabini were snarling at each other, drawing all eyes onto them, for Harry was quite sure his feet and ankles had been revealed as the cloak had flapped around them; indeed, for one horrible moment he thought he saw Malfoy's eyes follow his trainer as it whipped upward out of sight. But them Goyle slammed the door shut and flung Zabini off of him.

Harry watched as Pansy set her elbow on the back of the seat and began stroking Malfoy's sleek blond hair off Malfoy's forehead, smirking as she did so, as though anyone would have loved to have been in her place. He felt disgusted by the way Malfoy did nothing, didn't even acknowledge her doing it, and he remembered the way he'd been all over Riley last year, and the commotion that he'd caused at the magic shop. If he was a gambler, he would have bet ten to one that none of these guys knew about that incident.

"So, Zabini," said Malfoy, "what did Slughorn want?"

"Just trying to make up to well-connected people," said Zabini, who was still glowering at Goyle. "Not that he managed to find many.

This information did not seem to please Malfoy. "Who else had he invited?" he demanded.

"McLaggen from Gryffindor," said Zabini.

"Oh yeah, his uncle's big in the Ministry," said Malfoy.

"– someone else called Belby, from Ravenclaw –"

"Not him, he's a prat!" said Pansy.

" – and Longbottom, Potter, that Weasley girl, and Riley," finished Zabini.

Malfoy looked furious at this. "He invited _Longbottom_?"

"Well, I assume so, as Longbottom was there," said Zabini indifferently.

"What's Longbottom got to interest Slughorn?"

Zabini shrugged.

"Potter, precious Potter, obviously he wanted a look at '_the Chosen One_,'" sneered Malfoy, "but that Weasley girl? What's so special about _her_?"

"A lot of boys like her," said Pansy, watching Malfoy out of the corner of her eyes for his reaction. "Even you think she's good-looking, don't you, Blaise, and we all know how hard you are to please!"

"I wouldn't touch a filthy little blood traitor like her whatever she looked like," said Zabini coldly, and Pansy looked please.

Malfoy sank back into his seat again and allowed Pansy to resume the stroking of his hair. "Well, I pity Slughorn's taste. Maybe he's going a bit senile."

"I noticed you didn't say anything about Riley showing up," Zabini commented, a smirk on his face.

This brought forth a serious frown from both Malfoy and Pansy.

"Of course I didn't," Malfoy said sourly. "She's one of ours. I don't care if she goes or not, because it looks good to the other Houses."

"You think she can be won over?" Goyle asked, speaking out for the first time.

Malfoy shrugged ever so slightly and said with a calm voice, "Things are going to be interesting this year. Anything can happen, Goyle. Anyway, like I was saying, shame that Slughorn's going senile. My father always said he was a good wizard in his day. My father used to be a bit of a favorite of his. Slughorn probably hasn't heard I'm on the train, or –"

"I wouldn't bank on an invitation," said Zabini. "He asked me about Nott's father when I first arrived. They used to be old friends, apparently, but when he heard he'd been caught at the Ministry he didn't look happy, and Nott didn't get an invitation, did he? I don't think Slughorn's interested in Death Eaters."

Malfoy looked angry, but forced out a singularly humorless laugh. "Well, who cares what he's interested in? What is he, when you come down to it? Just some stupid teacher." Malfoy yawned ostentatiously. "I mean, I might not even be at Hogwarts next year, what's it matter to me if some fat old has-been likes me or not?"

"What do you mean, you might not be at Hogwarts next year?" said Pansy indignantly, ceasing grooming Malfoy at once.

"Well, you never know," said Malfoy with the ghost of a smirk. "I might have – er – moved on to bigger and better things."

Crouched in the luggage rack under his cloak, Harry's heart began to race. What would Ron and Hermione say about this? Crabbe and Goyle were grawping at Malfoy; apparently they had no inkling of any plans to move on to bigger and better things. Even Zabini had allowed a look of curiosity to mar his haughty features. Pansy resumed the slow stroking of Malfoy's hair, looking dumbfounded.

"Do you mean – Him?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Mother wants me to complete my education, but personally, I don't see it as that important these days. I mean, think about it... When the Dark Lord takes over, is he going to care how many O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s anyone's got? Of course he isn't... It'll be all about the kinds of service he received, the level of devotion he was shown."

"And you think _you'll_ be able to do something for him?" asked Zabini scathingly. "Sixteen years old and not even fully qualified yet?"

"I've just said, haven't I? Maybe he doesn't care if I'm qualified. Maybe the job he wants me to do isn't something that you need to be qualified for," said Malfoy quietly.

Crabbe and Goyle were both sitting with their mouths open like gargoyles. Pansy was gazing down at Malfoy as though she'd never seen anything so awe-inspiring.

"I can see Hogwarts," said Malfoy, clearly relishing the effect he had created as he pointed out the blackened window. "We'd better get our robes on."

The kids began to stand up, gathering their stuff and waiting in line to exit. Once they were all outside and Malfoy was about to walk out, he said "You go on. I just want to check something."

Pansy left. Now Harryand Malfoy were alone in the compartment. People were filing past, descending onto the dark platform. Malfoy moved over to the compartment door and let down the blinds, so that people in the corridor beyond could not peer I. He then bent down over his trunk and opened it again.

Harry peered down over the edge of the luggage rack, his heart pumping a little faster. What had Malfoy wanted to hide from Pansy? Was he about to see the mysterious broken object it was so important to mend?

"_Petrificus Totalus!_"

Without warning, Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry, who was instantly paralyzed.. As though in slow motion, he toppled of the luggage rack and fell, with an agonizing, floor-shaking crash, at Malfoy's feet, the Invisibility Cloak trapped beneath him, his whole body revealed with his legs still curled absurdly into the cramped kneeling position. He couldn't move a muscle; he could only gaze up at Malfoy, who smiled broadly.

"I thought so," he said jubilantly. "I heard Goyle's trunk hit you. And I thought I saw something white flash through the air after Zabini came back..." He lingered for a moment upon Harry's trainers. "You didn't hear anything I care about, Potter. But while I've got you here..." And he stamped, hard, on Harry's face. Harry felt his nose break; blood spurted everywhere. "That's for my father. Now, let's see..." Malfoy dragged the cloak out from under Harry's immobilized body and threw it over him. "I don't reckon they'll find you till the train's back in London," he said quietly. "See you around, Potter... or not."

Malfoy turned to walk away, only to find himself face-to-face, only about a foot away, from Riley. She had somehow silently opened the compartment door and was leaning to the left side of it, her arms folded. She hadn't changed into her robes yet, her stuff on the floor outside. She was staring at him through clear eyes, the kind of which Harry hadn't seen in two months. She stared Malfoy right in the eyes, showing no signs of fear or intimidation.

"Riley," Malfoy said, sounding surprised.

"Draco," Riley said in return, her voice as cold as her eyes. "Should I take it then that you would like to not wind up in detention?" When Draco said nothing, she said, "Get out."

Harry saw Malfoy reach up with one hand and touch her bare left forearm. She winced slightly, looking at him. He smiled and leaned over to whisper ever so slightly, not loud enough for Harry to hear, "_I see I still have the power to disturb you_."

Riley hesitated, then turned her head to her right, exposing the long scar that reached from the bottom of her left ear to her chin and showing it directly to Malfoy. Malfoy pulled his head back, clearly understanding the point of the message. She hadn't had to say anything, only kept her face turned away. Her head still turned away, she said coldly, "Say hello to your father for me."

Malfoy continued to stare at her for a moment, his eyes narrowed. He grabbed his bag and walked by her, his left hand running from her bare stomach back to her side. She closed her eyes and ga unconsciously tilted her head back slightly, her back arching as she sped quietly again, every muscle in her body tensing, and he walked behind her, not losing a single stride. He stopped when he got out of the corridor, smiling smugly.


	6. Chapter 6: Dumbledore's Speech

Chapter Six: Dumbledore's Speech

Once Malfoy was gone, Riley withdrew her wand and said in command, "_Accio cloak!_" The cloak suddenly went flying off of Harry and fell into Riley's arms. She walked over to stand above Harry, pointed her wand at him and said, "_Episkey_."

Harry's nose suddenly felt very hot, and then very cold. He wanted to reach to it to find out what she'd done, but found he couldn't.

"Harry," Riley said, shaking her head. "One of these days, you'll learn better." She gave a lazy flick of her wand, and a moment later Harry could move. He let out a gasp and tried to push himself up. "Look, I know you're in something of an awkward position right now, having no energy, but we have to go or we'll be late." She picked up her bag and pulled it over her neck to set on her shoulder as Harry stumbled to his feet. "Your nose will be fine, but you'd better run and get your trunks before you're considered late." She handed him his cloak.

"Thanks," Harry said, feeling as though his body was made out of noodles. "Riley, what –"

"Hurry up and get off the train before it leaves," Riley said, interrupting Harry as though he hadn't said a word. With that, she turned and walked off the train.

Harry quickly ran to get his stuff, completely confused as to what had just happened. He'd only heard a little bit, mainly the part where Riley had given him the back-handed comment about saying hello to his father. But something else had happened between them in that minute, something significant. What, though? Because of being frozen, he hadn't been able to see it.

Harry rushed his way off of the train, pulling his robes on over him as he ran, barely able to keep dragging his trunk and Hedwig without dropping them. He raced after the others and managed to get on the last carriage out, sitting with some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs that he didn't recognize. Still, at least he had made it in time.

It wasn't long before the carriages reached the castle. Harry managed to find Ron and Hermione ushering in first-years, along with Riley – who was acting as though nothing had happened – and Malfoy, Hannah Abbot and Ernie Macmillan, and Padma Patil and Anthony Goldstein.

Harry was one of the last to arrive in the Great Hall. He ran over to his table, looking around in confusion, and saw Riley sitting down at the table, voluntarily choosing to sit a few feet away from the other Slytherins. This struck Harry as odd and yet understandable. Last year, she'd spent a lot of time with her fellow Slytherins, laughing and helping them out with their homework, particularly Malfoy. But he could see that several of the Slytherins, and a few kids from the next table over, Ravenclaw, were looking over at her and pointing while whispering to their friends, and he knew they were talking about her face. How could someone not notice? That scar, so long and obvious, had almost become invisible to Harry, but he knew that it would never be to the other students. When the _Daily Prophet_, and every other newspaper in London, had published the article about what had happened at the Department of Mysteries, a picture of Riley's face had been offered by Professor Dumbledore, though how he had convinced Riley to hand over the picture and rights, Harry would never know. He could see in her eyes, even from this distance, that she was uncomfortable with the situation, where everyone in the Great Hall was staring uncomfortably at her and with wonder, but she didn't even pay attention. She just walked straight past them. Harry was both surprised and pleased when two girls, one who looked like a second year with blonde hair, and the other who looked like a third year with long brown hair, walked over and sat down near Riley, talking in what seemed to be a friendly voice. He hesitated, curious to see Riley's reaction, and saw her smile at them, visibly relaxing. Harry couldn't help but wonder if there was hope for some of the Slytherins yet.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Ron say something to him while approaching the table. "Where've you – blimey, what've you done to your face?" Ron was goggling at him, along with everyone else in the vicinity.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" said Harry, grabbing a spoon and squinting at his distorted reflection.

"You're covered in blood!" said Hermione. "Come here –" She raised her wand, said "_Tergeo!_" and siphoned off the dried blood.

"Thanks," said Harry, feeling his now clean face. "How's my nose look?"

"Normal," said Hermione anxiously. "Why wouldn't it Harry, what happened? We were confused when you didn't show up with the rest of us."

"I'll tell you later," said Harry curtly. He was very conscious that Ginny, Neville, Dean and Seamus were listening in.

And so the evening began. They all listened with interest as the Sorting Hat began its song once again, also predicting a terrible fate and the need for them to come together. Then the sorting began.

"Amanda Addlefield," McGonogall said, looking at her scroll.

A girl with reddish-brown hair walked forward, looking terrified, and she sat down on the stool. McGonogall set the hat down, and it almost immediately yelled out, "RAVENCLAW!" Everyone cheered, and the girl smiled as she ran down to join her House, whom were cheering the loudest.

"Jacob Andrews," McGonogall said aloud.

A boy with blonde hair and green eyes walked forward, and Harry was reminded a lot of what Malfoy had looked like when they'd first come to Hogwarts, that same knowing look in his eyes. He could almost predict what the hat was going to say as it sat down and read his mind. "SLYTHERIN!" Everyone cheered, especially the Slytherins, as the boy raced over to sit down beside Riley and the two girls she was hanging out with. Riley wrapped an arm encouragingly around the boy who grinned from ear to ear proudly.

And so the sorting went on. By the end of it, there were five new twelve new Gryffindors, ten new Slytherins, eight new Hufflepuffs, and ten Ravenclaws. Almost all of the first-year Slytherins moved over to sit by Riley, no doubt chatting her up about what it was like to be in Slytherin and what they could expect, and Riley seemed to be having a fun time explaining it to them.

Harry was eating up his food when he heard Hermione ask, "So what did Professor Slughorn want?"

Harry shrugged and said, "To know what really happened at the Ministry."

Aria scoffed from where she was sitting across from Harry. "Big surprise, him and everyone else here."

Hermione sniffed and said, "She's right. People were interrogating us about it on the train, weren't they, Ron?"

"Yeah," said Ron. "All wanting to know if you really are 'the Chosen One' –"

"I was talking to some of my friends in Ravenclaw," Aria said, frowning as she poked at her food with her fork. "Half of them hate the Ministry for lying to them, and half of them are pretending as though they've believed you all along. It's total hypocrisy." She looked up and saw Ron staring at her in disbelief. "_What_?" she asked, confused and sounding slightly defensive.

"I didn't know you were friendly with Ravenclaw," Ron said, sounding rather indignant.

"Yeah," Aria said, shrugging. "I'm friendly with Hufflepuff, too. Wanna give me detention for it?"

"Woah," Hermione said, sounding surprised as she looked up at Aria with alarm. "What's got you so moody?"

"She misses George," Ginny said with a smile from where she was sitting beside Aria, nudging her with her elbow.

Aria blushed and said, "I don't –" When Ginny raised an eyebrow at her accusingly, Aria smiled and said, "Well, I _do_ miss him, but that's not the problem."

"What is it?" Harry asked in concern.

Aria frowned and poked at her food with her fork as she said, "I didn't do well enough to get into Transfigurations this year, thanks to my stupid giggle last year."

"So?" Ron asked, shrugging. "That's no big deal."

Aria glared at Ron and said, "It is when it means I have to take double Defense Against the Dark Arts just to continue in my line of work."

"Ooh," Harry said, thinking of spending two periods with Slughorn. "I can't imagine that, sorry. That's going to be awful."

"Well," Aria said, sighing. "I guess I can look forward to Potions."

Harry couldn't believe Aria. She was the only person he knew who could stand being with Snape twice a day, who didn't care about his attitude in any way, shape or form.

Dumbledore stood up and began to talk, everyone's attention on him. "What happened tho his hand?" Hermione gasped.

Dumbledore's hand was still blackened and dead-looking, as much as it had been the day that Dumbledore had showed up to fetch Harry from the Dursleys. Whispers swept the room; Dumbledore, interpreting them correctly, merely smiled and shook his purple-and-gold sleeve over his injury.

"Nothing to worry about," he said airily. "Now... to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year of magical education awaits you..."

"His hand was like that when I saw him over the summer," Harry whispered. "I thought he'd have cured it by now, though... or Madam Pomfrey would've done."

"It looks as if it's died," said Hermione, with a nauseated expression. "But there are some injures you can't cure... old curses... and there are poisons without antidotes."

"It looks like he's set it in black paint is what it looks like," Aria said with a frown. "Spoiled black paint." She raised her head and sniffed the air, looking confused. "Too many smells in the room."

"That is so creepy the way you do that," Ron said, looking at Aria uncomfortably. "You and Riley."

"Hey," Aria said defensively. "Riley's smell is ten times more powerful than mine. She could probably tell you exactly what's wrong."

Dumbledore continued to say, "Those wishing to play for House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of the staff this year, Professor Slughorn" – Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, his big waistcoated belly casting the table below into shadow – "is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

"Potions?"

"_Potions_?"

The word echoed all over the Hall as people wondered whether they had heard right.

"Potions?" said Ron and Hermione, turning to stare at Harry. Aria was staring at Slughorn with wonder, not saying a word.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising his voice so that it carried over all the muttering, "will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"No!" said Harry loudly, not that he cared. How could Snape be given the Defense Against the Dark Arts job after all this time?

"But Harry, you said that Slughorn was going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts!" said Hermione.

"I thought he was," said Harry, racking his brains to remember when Dumbledore had told him this, but now that he came to think of it, he was unable to recall Dumbledore ever telling him what Slughorn would be teaching.

Snape, who was sitting on Dumbledore's right, did not stand up at the mention of his name; he merely raised a hand in a lazy acknowledgment of the applause from the Slytherin's table, yet Harry was sure he could detect a look of triumph on the features he loathed so much.

"Well, there's one good thing," he sad savagely. "Snape'll be gone by the end of the year."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"That job's jinxed. No one's lasted more than a year... Quirrell actually died doing it... Personally, I'm going to keep my finger's crossed for another death..."

"Harry!" said Hermione, shocked and reproachful.

"He might just go back to teaching Potiosn at the end of the year," said Ron reasonably. "That Slughorn bloke might not want to stay long-term. Moody didn't."

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and everyone silenced immediately. "Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."

The silence seemed to tauten and strain as Dumbledore spoke. Harry glanced at Malfoy. He was not looking at Dumbledore, but making his fork hover in midair with his wand, as though he found the headmaster's words unworthy of his attention. Harry glanced over at Riley and saw that she was speaking quietly to the first years around her, all of whom looked terrified, and she didn't even bother to glance at Malfoy.

Dumbledore continued to say, "I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of the staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them – in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of bed after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of the staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety." Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more. "But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"

With the usual deafening scraping noise, the benches were moved back and the hundreds of students began to file out of the Great Hall toward their dormitories. Harry hung to the back of the crowd, not really in any hurry to rush out. He looked over and saw Riley escorting the first years out of the Great Hall, not even bothering to look at Malfoy as she passed him and led the way for the Slytherins to get to their dormitory. Malfoy didn't look at her, either, only glared at the first-years.

"You all right, Harry?" Ron asked, sounding confused.

"Yeah," Harry said awkwardly. "I'm fine."

"And Riley?" Aria asked as she walked up.

Harry looked at Aria in surprise and saw her roll her eyes. "She came in just a few minutes before you did, and was slipping her wand into her back pocket. I put two and two together."

Harry hesitated, and then said, "Yeah, she was with me. Doesn't matter now." Still, he wanted badly to talk to Riley and find out just what happened between her and Malfoy on the train, and what had happened to cause that anger.


	7. Chapter 7: The Half Blood Prince

Chapter Seven: The Half-Blood Prince

The next morning, Harry and his friends met in the common room to discuss their schedules with Professor McGonogall. Hermione was immediately cleared to continue with Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbology, Aritmancy, Ancient Runes and Potions, and shot off to a first-period Ancient Runes class without further ado. Neville took a little longer to sort out; his round face was anxious as Professor McGonogall looked down his application and then consulted his O.W.L. results.

"Herbology, fine," she said. "Professor Sprout will be delighted to see you back with an 'Outstanding' O.W.L. and you qualify for Defense Against the Dark Arts with 'Exceeds Expectations.' But the problem is Transfiguration. I'm sorry, Longbottom, but an 'Acceptable' really isn't good enough to continue to N.E.W.T. Level. I just don't think you'd be able to cope with the coursework." Neville hung his head. McGonogall peered at him through her square spectacles. "Why do you want to continue with Transfigurations, anyway? I've never had the impression that you particularly enjoy it."

Neville looked miserable and muttered something about "my grandmother wants."

"Hmph," snorted McGonogall. "It's high time your grandmother learned to be proud of the grandson she's got, rather than the one she thinks she ought to have – particularly after what happened at the Ministry."

Neville turned very pink and blinked confusedly; Professor McGonogall had never paid him a compliment before.

"I'm sorry, Longbottom, but I cannot let you into my N.E.W.T. Class. I see that you have an 'Exceeds Expectations in Charms, however – why not try for a N.E.W.T. In Charms?"

"My grandmother thinks Charms is a soft option," mumbled Neville.

"Take Charms," said Professor McGonogall, "and I shall drop Augusta a line reminding her that just because she failed her Charms O.W.L., the subject is not necessarily worthless.

Aria was next, looking totally embarrassed as she went before Professor McGonogall, whose eyes were widening with disbelief at the paper.

"All right, Hardwick," McGonogall said in a strained voice, obviously struggling to remain calm. "You won't have a problem with Potions or Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I must voice my appall and disbelief at your Transfigurations score!"

"I know," Aria muttered, looking embarrassed.

McGonogall narrowed her eyes, and Harry had to try hard not to laugh at the disbelief in her eyes. "Hardwick," McGonogall said impatiently. "You may continue with me this year..." Aria's eyes brightened, and McGonogall continued to say, "But if you score this low again next year, _I will personally run you out of Hogwarts myself!_"

Aria blushed and said quickly with a burst of enthusiasm, "Yes, Professor!" She grabbed her schedule and rushed off before McGonogall could swat her.

After Parvati Patil went, it was Harry's turn. "So, Potter, Potter..." said Professor McGonogall, consulting her notes as she turned to Harry. "Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfigurations... all fine. I must say, I was pleased with your Transfiguration mark, Potter, very pleased. It seems that all the time you've spent with Miss O'Malley has paid off after all, hasn't it?" Harry blushed in embarrassment. "Now, why haven't you applied to continue with Potions? I thought it was your ambition to become an Auror?"

"It was, but you told me I had to get an 'Outstanding' in my O.W.L., Professor."

"And so you did when Professor Snape was teaching the subject. Professor Slughorn, however, is perfectly happy to accept N.E.W.T. Students with 'Exceeds Expectations' at O.W.L. DO you wish to proceed with Potions?"

"Yes," said Harry, "but I didn't buy the books or any ingredients or anything –"

"I'm sure Professor Slughorn will be able to lend you some," said Professor McGonogall. "Very well, Potter, here is your schedule. Oh, by the way – twenty hopefuls have already put down their names for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I shall pass the list to you in due course and you can fix up trials at your leisure."

A few minutes later, Ron was declared to do the same subjects as Harry, and the two of them left the table together.

"Look," said Ron delightedly, gazing at his schedule as they walked down the corridor. "We've got a free period now... and a free period after break... and a free period after lunch... _excellent_!"

"Hey, you two," a voice said, and Riley walked up beside Ron, smiling over at them. "You two just get your schedules?"

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding. "You?"

"Yep, I love mine," Riley said, smiling as Ron ripped her schedule from her.

"You only get one free period!" Ron exclaimed in disbelief. "And it's only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays."

Riley shrugged and said, "I don't need a lot of time to do homework. Plus, it's not like I'll be swamped this year with things outside of homework, since barely anyone in my House talks to me anymore. Guess they all feel awkward now that Umbridge is gone and I'm famous, and because Draco's dad tried to kill me."

"You're still planning on playing Quidditch, aren't you?" Harry asked in alarm.

Riley nodded. "Oh yeah. In fact, Slytheirn's already booked three days a week for the entire month of October for practices."

"Not over zealous, are you lot?" Ron asked bitterly.

Riley shrugged. "You wanna win, you have to train."

Harry silently cursed himself, making a mental note to go and book times and dates for the Quidditch team as soon as possible.

* * *

An hour later, they ran into Hermione on their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Hermione was already queuing outside, carrying an armful of heavy books and looking put-upon.

"We've got so much homework for Runes," said said anxiously when Riley, Aria, Harry and Ron joined her. "A fifteen-inch essay, two translations, and I've got to read these by Wednesday!"

"I am so glad I decided to have that class be my last one of the day," Riley said with a smile.

"Shame," yawned Ron.

"You wait," Hermione said resentfully. "I bet Snape gives us loads."

The classroom door opened as she spoke, and Snape stepped into the corridor, his sallow face framed as ever by two curtains of greasy black hair. Silence fell over the queue immediately. "Inside," he said.

Harry looked around as they entered. Snape had imposed his personality upon the room already. It was gloomier than usual, as curtains had been drawn over the windows, and was lit by candlelight. New pictures adorned the walls, many of them showing people who appeared to be in pain, sporting grisly injures or strangely contorted body parts. Nobody spoke as they settled down, looking around at the shadowy, gruesome pictures.

"I have not asked you to take out your books," said Snape, closing the door and moving to face the class from behind his desk; Hermione hastily dropped her copy of _Confronting the Faceless_ back into her back and stowed it under her chair. "I wish to speak to you, and I want your fullest attention."

Harry was sitting beside Hermione and Ron as usual, Aria sitting in the row behind him with Neville and Seamus. Harry looked over at the Slytherins and saw Riley sitting in the back row, as far from any sunlight as possible, sitting with a paper and quill out, rotating the quill lazily between her fingers as she watched him. She wasn't sitting near Malfoy, as she had the year before, but beside a boy with dark hair that Harry could have sworn was grey.

"You have had five teachers tin this subject so far, I believe. Naturally, these teachers will all have had their own methods and priorities. Given this confusion I am surprised so many of you scraped an O.W.L. in this subject. I shall be even more surprised if you all manage to keep up with the N.E.W.T. Work, which will be much more advanced." Snape set off around the edge of the room, speaking now in a lower voice; most of the class craned their necks to keep him in view. "The Dark Arts,"s aid Snape, "are many, varied, ever-changing and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible. Your defenses," he continued, a little louder, "must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo. These pictures give a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instant, the Cruciatus Curse."

Harry's eyes widened in alarm. He looked back at Riley, and saw Aria and Hermione doing the same thing. Neville looked scared, but Riley's eyes were narrowed, dark, as she looked down at Snape, her gaze fixed completely upon him.

Snape continued to say, "Feel the Dementor's kiss, or provoke the aggression of the Inferius."

"Has an Inferius been seen, then?" said Parvati Patil in a high-pitched voice. "Is it definite, is he using them?"

"The Dark Lord has used Inferi in the past," said Snape, "which means you would be well-advised to assume he might use them again. Now..." He set off again, around the other side of the classroom toward his desk, and began, "you are, I believe, completely novices in the use of nonverbal spells. What is the advantage of a nonverbal spell?"

Harry snorted, wanting to slap Snape upside the head, and he heard several of the Gryffindors who had been in the D.A. scoff in the same respect.

Snape turned his head and narrowed his eyes, Hermione's hand raised in the air to ask a question. Snape glared at Harry and said with disdain, "You have something to say, _Potter_?"

The last thing Harry wanted to do was talk to this man, but he said in a flat voice, "Not everyone in here is a novice at nonverbal spells, _Professor_."

"Oh?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow. "And who might that be?"

"Riley and Aria," Seamus spoke up to say.

Snape glared at Seamus, while the entire class turned in their seats to look at Riley and Aria. "Really?" he asked, with the closest thing that Harry had ever heard to interest come from his voice. He glanced between Aria and Riley, both of whom hadn't moved a muscle. Suddenly, his wand pointed up at Riley and a red spell shot out of it, Snape not having said a word.

Before Harry had full realized what had happened, Riley was on her feet, giving a wave of her wand with her left hand. A forceful suddenly appeared and sent the spell flying back at Snape. It moved at twice the speed, stopping in mid-air, the colors still sparking, within two inches of Snape's face. Snape then snapped his head in the other direction, and the spell suddenly continued at the same speed as before, this time flying at Aria. She was instantly on her feet, pointed her wand – from where Harry would never know, since she hadn't been holding it before – and a green light shot from it, hitting the other spell. As the two spells hit, they instantly disappeared, leaving behind a thin grey wisp of smoke, and nothing else.

Half of the class awed or whispered in awe. Snape looked between Riley and Aria, both girls still standing with their wands in their hands, as though preparing for another round. Riley was glaring down at Snape through dark eyes, and Harry wondered what it was about Snape that made Riley hate him so. He himself had enough reasons, but he couldn't imagine why Riley did.

Snape, without saying a word to either girl, spun around and said as he walked over to his desk, "You have just witnessed the casting of a Stunning spell, a Shield Charm, an Immobilization spell, and a Disintegration spell. Two of these – the Stunning and Immobilization spell – are ranked at fourth or fifty year, mere O.W.L. level. The Shield Charm is considered N.E.W.T., and the Disintegration beyond that of a sixth year, sometimes even seventh." He looked at Aria and said, "I would thank you not to show off in front of my class with unnecessary spells of high risk."

"Sir," Aria said, blinking at him in acknowledgment.

"Now," Snape said. "You have also witnessed that in order to use nonverbal spells, you need concentration and mind power, but in real combat you will also need extraordinary reflexes, to be able to act within a moment's notice." When no one said anything, he said, "you will now divide into pairs. One partner will attempt to jinx the other _without speaking_. The other will attempt to repel the jinx _in equal silence. _Before you begin_,_" he added, looking up at Riley through slitted eyes. "Professor Moody told me that you sat in on his class during your stay here as a TriWizard Champion, that you have exceptional hearing that can pick up even the faintest sound of _cheating_." He glanced at Ron and Harry as he said the word 'cheating', and then looked back up at Riley, who said nothing. "He said that you and your friend, Hardwick, stunned one of the students who was caught speaking his incantation instead of doing it silently, Fred Weasley."

There were several sniggers from around the room, but Riley continued to remain silent.

Snape continued to say, "Since you have taken it upon yourselves to prove show-offs and superior to the teachings of this class, you and Hardwick can stand by and silence any student who cheats." That caught the attention of everyone in the room, and everyone stared in silence. Snape continued to say, "Should anyone be caught, they will have ten points stripped from their House, per person." He looked at Riley and said, "And as I know that you have no sympathy for either House, if I find out that you have given leniency to either, fifty points will be stripped from Slytherin."

There were several murmurs of surprise, and all Riley said was, "Professor."

"All right," Snape grunted. "Carry on."

Had it not been for Snape's clear threat by having Riley and Aria stand by and proctor, Harry knew that many of the students would have cheated. Even so, Harry was alarmed when he saw Riley send a silencing spell at Neville, which hit him and almost knocked him over with the overkill in power.

"Ten points from Gryffindor!" Snape snapped, looking almost delighted as he looked at Neville. "Try that again, Longbottom, but this time you won't have a choice but to remain silent." With that, he stormed off, completely ignoring Hermione, who had managed to repel Neville's muttered Jelly-Legs Jinx without uttering a single word.

Still, Neville wasn't the only one who was caught. By the end of the class period, Ron, Zabini, Seamus, Crabbe, Goyle and Parvati had all been silenced, and Gryffindor had lost forty points, and Slytherin had lost thirty. Neither Riley nor Aria had taken sympathy with either House, in spite of the death glares that they constantly got. They looked completely serious, and Harry knew that they were using their animal instincts and ears to detect the voices. It was an incredible ability, but scary at the same time.

By the time class was over, Riley and Aria had released the silencing charms on each of them, though they still had people glaring at them, right until they walked over to the Potions corridor. As they walked, Harry was surprised to see that there were only five Slytherins who had managed to progress to N.E.W.T. level, and Crabbe and Goyle weren't among them – though there was no surprise there – . As Harry was walking over, he saw four Ravenclaws, including Anthony Goldstein, who stopped to talk to Riley and Aria, and one Hufflepuff, Ernie Macmillan, whom Harry liked despite his rather pompous manner.

Before they could say much, the dungeon door opened and Slughorn made his way out. As they filed into the room, his great walrus mustache curved above his beaming mouth, and he greeted Harry, Riley and Zabini with particular enthusiasm, though Riley rudely ignored him.

The dungeon was, most unusually, already full of vapors and odd smells. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sniffed interestedly as they passed large, bubbling cauldrons. Four of the Slytherins took a table together, as did the four Ravenclaws. Harry took a table with Hermione, Ron and Aria, while Riley hung at the back of the room with Ernie, Seamus and Neville, talking quietly to Ernie, her fellow Prefect.

"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn, whose massive outline was quivering through the many shimmering vapors. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of _Advanced Potion-Making._.."

"Sir?" said Harry, raising his hand.

"Harry, m'boy?"

"I haven't got a book or scales or anything – nor's Ron – we didn't realize we'd be able to do the N.E.W.T., you see –"

"Ah, yes, Professor McGonogall did mention... not to worry, my dear boy, not to worry at all. You can use ingredients from the store cupboard today, and I'm sure we can lend you some scales, and we've got a small stock of old books here, they'll do until you can write to Flourish and Blots..."

Slughorn strode over to a corner cupboard and, after a moment's foraging, emerged with two very battered-looking copies of _Advanced Potion-Making_ by Libatius Borage, which he gave to Harry and Ron along with two sets of tarnished scales.

"Now then," said Slughorn, returning to the front of the class and inflating his already bulging chest so that the button on his waistcoat threatened to burst off, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?" He indicated the cauldron nearest the Slytherin table. Harry raised himself slightly in his seat and saw what looked like plain water boiling away inside it.

Hermione's well-practiced hand hit the air, along with Aria, who was just raising her head to smell instead of look, and Riley raised her hand as well. Slughorn poitned at Hermione, and Aria looked crestfallen.

"It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth," said Hermione.

"Very good, very good," said Slughorn happily. "Now," he continued, pointing to the cauldron nearest the Ravenclaw table, "this one here is pretty well known... Featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately too... Who can –?" Once again, Riley, Aria and Hermione all raised their hands. This time, he pointed to Riley.

"That's a Polyjuice Potion, sir," she said calmly. Once again, Aria looked saddened.

"Well done, well done," Slughorn said, looking very pleased. "Now, this one here... yes, my dear?" said Slughorn, looking at Hermione in slight bemusement as Hermione's hand punched the air again, as had Aria's and Riley's.

"It's Amortentia!"

This time, Aria's forehead hit the table, and she moaned slightly, and half of the kids in the class couldn't help but laugh, some of the kids even snorting in their attempts to not laugh too loudly. Even some of the Slytherins seemed to think it was funny; in spite of their differences, Slytherin and Gryffindor, no one oculd doubt Aria's qualifications as a Potioneer. Slughorn, however, didn't seem to notice any of this.

"It is indeed," Slughorn said, as though not having noticed Aria at all. "It seems foolish to ask, but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" said Hermione.

"Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by it's distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"

"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," said Hermione enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and –" But she turned slihglty pink and did not complete the sentence, though half of the Gryfindors were paying more attention to Aria, who was still banging her head against the desk.

"May I ask your name, my dear?" said Slughorn, ignoring Hermione's embarrassment and Aria's growing head bruise.

"Hermione Granger, sir."

"Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"

"No, I don't think so, sir. I'm a Muggle-born, you see."

Harry heard a whisper and turned his head to see Malfoy lean close to Nott and whisper something; both of them sniggered, but Slughorn showed no dismay. On the contrary, he beamed and looked from Hermione to Harry, who was looking back at Aria.

"Oho! _'One of my best friends is a Muggle-born, and she –'_ Goodness, gracious, m'girl!" His eyes caught sight of Aria, whose head was still planted against the desk, her shoulders sagging in misery. He walked over and tentatively reached out toward her, "Are you all right?"

"Peachy," Aria said sarcastically, though it was muffled.

Riley suddenly snorted as she burst out laughing, lowering her head to her desk and hitting it with her fist.

Slughorn looked up at Riley in confusion, and then back at Aria, looking totally bemused. He backed up and said to the class, "Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room – oh yes," he said, nodding gravely at Malfoy and Nott, both of whom were smirking skeptically. "When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love... And now, it is time for us to start work."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," Said Ernie, pointing at a small black cauldron on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the color of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled.

"Oho," said Slughorn again. Harry was sure that Slughorn had not forgotten the potion at all, but waited to be asked for dramatic effect. "Yes. That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a –"

"Febixfabisis," Aria muttered, though it came out muffled.

"Excuse me, dear?" Slughorn asked, confused as he walked over.

Aria raised her head, but not the rest of her body, and said bitterly, "I said that it's Felix Felicis."

The students all looked surprised, Hermione alarmed, and Slughorn looked somewhere between pleased and astounded. "M'girl, you're quite right. What's your name, dear?"

Aria sat up and brushed her hair out of her face as she said with an uninterested tone, "Aria Hardwick."

"Hardwick?" Slughorn said, sounding surprised. "Any relation to Jason Hardwick?"

"Yeah," Aria said, nodding. "He was my dad."

"_My girl!_" Slughorn said in astonishment. "Your dad was one of the best pupils I ever taught, tied right here with Harry's mum, Lily Evans." Harry blinked in surprise at this. Slughorn then asked, "How was it that you could tell that this was Felix Felicis?"

"Several ways," Aria muttered, crossing her arms and looking over at the cauldron. "To start with, the golden color of Felix Felicis is extremely rare. Secondly, no matter how far or how high the potion bubbles and peaks, it will never fall out, because its very nature is to be unlike any other potion, to be _lucky_. It makes the drinker lucky, probably the luckiest they'll ever be in their lives." Harry saw Malfoy straighten up at this. Aria shrugged and said, "Then there's the smell." She scrunched up her nose at the thought.

Harry looked over at Riley and saw that she, too, had a scrunched up nose.

"The smell?" Slughorn asked in surprise. "What smell?"

"It smells something between melted gold and –" She turned in her seat to look up at Riley. "Help me out here, Riley, what else does it smell like?"

Riley hesitated, as though unable to put her finger on it. Then she said, "...Honey?"

"That's it!" Aria said, snapping her finger at Slughorn. "The smell of melted gold and honey. It's _disgusting!_" She looked ready to gag. "I've been around it twice before, and I couldn't get that smell out of my nose if I wanted to."

Everyone was looking at each other in surprise, including Slughorn. "It must be something else," he said, shaking his head as he looked at them, perplexed.

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "If they say that potion smells like that, believe me, it smells like it, even if we don't smell it."

Slughorn looked at Harry, then at the girls and said with an impressed tone, "Well, it seems that I've learned something new. See? You can never be too old to learn. Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor and Slytherin for that, m'girls. Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis," he said as he moved back into the center of the room to face everyone. "Desperately trick to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed... at least until the effects wear off."

"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" said Terry Boot eagerly.

"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," said Slughorn. "Too much of a good thing, you know.... highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly and very occasionally..."

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" asked Michael Corner with great interest.

"Twice in my life," said Slughorn. "Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoonfuls taken with breakfast. Two perfect days." He gazed dreamily into the distance. Whether he was playacting or not, thought Harry, the effect was good. "And that," he continued to say, "is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."

There was a silence in which every bubble and gurgle of the surrounding potions seemed magnified tenfold.

"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," said Slughorn, taking a miniscule glass bottle with a cork in it out of his pocket and showing it to them all. "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt.

Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organized competitions... sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections. So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only... and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!

So," said Slughorn, suddenly brisk, "how are you to win my fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

There was a scraping as everyone drew their cauldrons toward them and some loud clunks as people began dding weights to their scales, but nobody spoke. The concentration within the room was almost tangible. Harry saw Malfoy riffling feverishly through his copy of Advanced Potion-Making. It could not have been clearer that Malfoy really wanted that lucky day. Harry bent swiftly over the tattered book Slughorn had lent him.

To his annoyance, he saw that the previous owner had scribbled all over the pages, so that the margins were as black as the printed portions. Bending low to decipher the ingredients, Harry hurried off toward the store cupboard to find what he needed. As he dashed back to his cauldron, he saw Malfoy cutting up valerian roots as fast as he could.

Everyone kept glancing around to see what the others were doing. As Harry looked back at Aria, he saw her calmly working, barely spending any time on her textbook, and Harry could hardly believe that she might have done this potion before. Looking up at Riley, he saw that she, too, was looking calm, but it was more out of boredom than anything.

Harry returned to his roots, which he had just finished chopping, and he bent low over his book again. It was really very irritating, having to decipher the directions under all the stupid scribbles of the previous owner, who for some reason had taken issue with the order to cut up the sopophorous bean and had written in the alternative instruction:

_Crush with flat side of silver dagger,_

_releases juice better than cutting._

Harry hesitated, then turned to Hermione and asked, "Can I borrow your silver knife?"

She nodded impatiently, not taking her eyes off her potion, which was still deep purple, though according to the book ought to be turning a light shade of lilac by now.

Harry crushed the bean with the flat side of the dagger. To his astonishment, it immediately exuded so much juice he was amazed the shriveled bean could have held it all. Hastily scooping it all into the cauldron he saw, to his surprise, that the potion immediately turned exactly the shade of lilac described by the textbook.

Hiss annoyance with the previous owner vanishing on the spot, Harry now squinted at the next line of instructions. According to the book, he had to stir counterclockwise until the potion turned clear as water. According to the addition the previous owner had made, however, he ought to add a clockwise stir after every seventh counterclockwise stir. Could the old owner be right twice?

Harry stirred counterclockwise, held his breath, and stirred once clockwise. The effect was immediate. The option turned palest pink.

"How are you doing that?" demanded Hermione, who was red-faced and whose hair was growing bushier and bushier in the fumes from her cauldron; her potion was resolutely purple.

"Add a clockwise stir –"

"No, no, the book says counterclockwise!" she snapped.

Harry shrugged and continued what he was doing. Seven stirs counterclockwise, one clockwise, pause... seven stirs counterclockwise, one stir clockwise...

Across the table, Ron was cursing fluently under his breath; his potion looked like liquid licorice. Harry glanced around. As far as he could see, no one else's potion had turned as pale as his. He felt elated, something that had certainly never happened before in this dungeon.

"And time's... up!" called Slughorn. "stop stirring, please!"

Slughorn moved slowly among the tables, peering into the cauldrons. He made no comment, but occasionally gave the potions a stir or a sniff. At last he reached the table where Harry, Ron, Hermione and Aria were sitting. He smiled ruefully at the tarlike substance in Ron's cauldron. He passed over Aria's concoction and looked impressed, passed over Hermione's and gave an approving nod, and then saw Harry's, and he stopped.

"Well, I've never –" Slughorn said in astonishment, looking between Aria and Harry's. "We have a tie!"

"What?" almost everyone in the class exclaimed in disbelief.

"Two perfect examples of this potion," Slughorn said, a smile on his face. "Miss... what was your name again, dear?"

"Aria Hardwick," Aria repeated.

"Miss Hardwick and Mr. Potter have both tied!"

Hermione was turning dark and disappointed, most of the Slytherins looked furious, Riley had leaned her head back, her eyes closed and her arms folded as she tried to sleep, and Ron looked dumbfounded.

"Goodness gracious," Slughorn said, smiling at Aria and Harry. "It seems that you two have inherited your parents' talents. Well, Mr. Potter, here is one vial of Felix Felicis," he said as he handed the clear bottle to Harry. "And Miss Hardiwck, I will get you one now..." He walked over and picked up an identical vile and filled it with the potion, only to walk over and give it to Aria. "Well done, you two, well done!"

Harry and Aria were putting the potion away just as the bell rang, and they all got to their feet. "How did you do that?" Ron whispered as they all got ready to leave.

"Miss O'Malley!" Slughorn said, waving to Riley. "Please stay, I wish to have a word with you."

Riley sat back down, looking annoyed, but said nothing.

Harry led the way out and once they were alone, Harry explained to them what had happened. "I s'pose you think I cheated?" he finished, aggravated by Hermione's stony expression.

"Well, it wasn't exactly your own work, was it?" she said stiffly.

"He only followed different instructions to ours," said Ron. "Could've been a catastrophe, couldn't it? But he took a risk and it paid off..."


	8. Chapter 8: Meeting With Slughorn

Chapter Eight: Meeting With Slughorn

Riley had waited until everyone had gone before getting out of her seat. She walked down to where Slughorn stood, an amused look on his face. "Quite a facade you've pulled of for yourself, isn't it?" he asked knowingly.

"Professor?" Riley asked, not quite sure what he was talking about.

Slughorn raised his wand and gave it a tiny flick, and the doors up at the top of the staircase shut instantly. Slughorn smiled and said, "I wanted to talk to you about you and yourself. Come, come with me." He led the way into his office and sat down in his chair, pointing to the other in indication. As Riley sat down in it, crossing one leg over the other, he smiled at her, an elbow rested on the arm of his chair. "You look exactly like your mother, you do. She was fair enough at Potions, Helen was. Not the master that Lily was, but she was good, always interested me. No, your father was better at Potions than she was. I remember a time when Helen and Stephen –"

"Look, Professor Slughorn," Riley said, adjusting herself in her seat so that she sat up straight, her hands folded on her lap while she looked right at Slughorn. "I'm here because you asked me to be, missing my Arithmancy class for this – not that I'm completely devastated by that prospect – and I will be meeting you again later today for my seventh-year Potions. Now, I'm not usually an impatient person, but I will be blunt in saying this: you're an impossible man to be around."

Slughorn raised an eye curiously as he looked at Riley. "Oh?" he asked, not sounding offended at all, but intrigued.

"Yes," Riley admitted. "You pick kids out of the crowd based on the influence that they have, or by the blood that they possess. In fact, I think the only person you haven't picked as part of your 'Slug club' for their connections was Ginny Weasley, who happens to be one of my best friends." She saw Slughorn's eyes light up with interest, and Riley continued to say, "Now, the others might be willing to tolerant this form of barbaric teacher-favoritism, but I think it's hypocritical, and I will not play into your daydreams of idealistic mooching."

Slughorn suddenly leaned back and erupted in a deep, awkward laughter. He continued for several moments before looking at Riley with twinkling eyes. "Oh yes, you are definitely Helen's daughter. I spoke with Professor Snape and Professor McGonogall over the summer, and they agreed that you are an extremely belligerent, sarcastic, blunt and rude girl, but Professor McGonogall also mentioned that those all outline your most favorable quality."

"What's that?" Riley asked, tilting her head to the side.

Slughorn smiled and said simply, "Honesty. You're honest with everyone, even if it's brutal and even if it hurts them. You remind me of your mother, sitting there twenty years ago with a smirk on her face as she told me I was spineless git."

Riley said nothing, but added that to the list of descriptions she had going for Slughorn.

Slughorn continued to say, "No, what I wished to talk to you about was for a different purpose. Yes, I find your heritage interesting, especially considering that no one in this school seems to know, and you wish to keep it that way."

Riley blinked and said, "My heritage has only caused me grief and disturbances, Professor, as reporters have even gone as far as to think that I'm a reincarnation and a freak on her way to the Dark side. So, you tell me what you would do in my position?"

"I can't say I disagree," Slughorn admitted. "You've done a great deal to follow in your mother's foosteps." As he spoke, he glanced at her leather wristband, which had been revealed as her sleeve slid back a little. He raised an eyebrow at Riley as she pulled her sleeve back over her wrist. "In more than one way. Did you know it was your mother's idea to start the Black Ravens?"

"No, I didn't," Riley admitted.

Slughorn nodded and said, "Yes, when Helen attended Hogwarts, she came to me in her sixth year and asked many questions about You-Know-Who. She had a great many questions, and was one who prided herself on being the descendant of Rona Ravenclaw, not that she confided in many teachers other than me. Given, she didn't brag about it. Like you, very few people knew, and she chose to name the society after her ancestors. The 'Raven'." Riley's eyes lit up somewhat at this, and Slughorn nodded as he said, "I may be a spineless git who prays on people with extraordinary connections and heritages, but I'm also something of a collector." He reached into his desk and pulled out a thick book. It looked old and dusty, and he reached forward to hand it to Riley. "I want you to have this."

Riley hesitated as she took the book, looking from it to Slughorn. She looked back at the cover and saw that there were two symbols embedded into it. One was a raven, one identical to the one on Riley's forearm, and one was a snake, rearing up and with its mouth open, ready to attack.

"What is this ?" Riley asked, sounding confused as she ran her fingers over the etched leather.

"Something I came across many years ago," Slughorn said with a frown. "I never thought much of it after about ten years ago, but when I saw you on the train... Well, I figure it's more yours than mine."

Riley hesitated, feeling the leather beneath her fingers. She then saw her ring, and looked up at Slughorn. "You knew about my ring," she said, sounding confused. "You knew who I was when you saw me wearing this ring. How?"

Slughorn smiled and said, "I remember Helen wearing that ring up until the day it disappeared. I don't know who took it, but I remember how devastated she was at losing it. I then saw the portrait of Rona and Rowena hanging in the far south corridor, past where most people walk..."

"Yeah, I've been there," Riley said, frowning as she remembered the portrait.

Slughorn nodded and said, "When I asked the portrait about why Rona's ring was different and she answered, 'The Tongue knows what the Ring says, but not the Clan.'" He smiled knowingly and said, "When I discovered that every woman in your family on your mother's side that descended Rona was a Parstlemouth, I realized that she must have meant that the ring was written in Parstletongue. I cannot be sure, because it is not an ability that I possess, but I'm almost positive..." He pointed to the book in Riley's lap. "That that book requires a Parstlemouth to open it."

Riley hesitated, and then asked, "Why are you doing this?" When she saw Slughorn's confused expression, she said, "Helping me, giving this to me."

Slughorn smiled gently and said, "Well, in spite of her honest insults, Helen Mask was one of my favorite students, probably my favorite next to Lily Evans, and it had nothing to do with her being a Pureblood or heritage." He nodded to the wall to his left. "See, up there?"

Riley stood up and walked over to the wall, folding her arms as she looked at it. There were pictures all over it of people of different ages. Slughorn got to his feet and walked over, his hands in his pockets. Riley recognized many people on the wall, but her face fell to a picture of Lily Evans and Helen Mask, standing together with Slughorn in between them, him beaming brightly and Helen and Lily smiling with Butterbeers in their hands.

Slughorn chuckled andsaid, "Lily loved coming around, always enjoyed learning from me. This was the only picture that I ever managed to get of me and your mother, though. She disliked getting into the camera, but when she was on the Quidditch team and the best in Transfigurations in Slytherin, my own House, she couldn't avoid me forever." He sighed and said, "Your mother was a keen and probing young witch, and in spite of her distaste for me, she found a willing ear in me, and often told me of things going on in the castle, in her life. After she started seeing James Potter and Stephen O'Malley, your father, that all changed."

"So Lily and my mother were friends?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow.

Slughorn nodded. "Oh yes, very much so. I believe it caused something of an uproar among the students in the school, your mother being a Pureblood Slytherin and Lily being a Muggleborn Gryffindor. They were the very best of friends, even when young Helen was dating James. Of course, Lily wasn't very interested in James then. No, she was more interested in Stephen." He chuckled and said, "Something of a twisted love-square, isn't it? Well, that all sorted itself out over time, but Helen and Lily stuck it out together, as did James and Stephen. They all grew extremely close, those four." His eyes seemed almost wistful as he said, "She was a special woman, Helen was, and it's a shame she had to die, a crying shame." He looked down at Riley, who turned to look him in the eye, and he said, "I don't know if you're as special as your mum, but she would have wanted you to have that book." He nodded to the book in Riley's hands. "It belongs to your family, I believe, the women in your family, and I think it's about time it was returned to you."

Riley smiled and said, "Thank you, Professor, really."

"You did well today," Slughorn said, nodding as he sat back in his chair again. "Your potion was close to perfect, darn near close. In fact, it was just as good as Hermione Granger's. You and your friend, Miss Hardwick, both carry silver knives on you on a whole?"

Riley shrugged and said, "Silver is pure, tends to cut through substances more easily than a standard steel knife. And when the stupid bean would cut, I smashed the thing with my knife. I think Aria knew that she was supposed to squeeze it before hand."

"Is your friend all right?" Slughorn asked nervously. "I mean, after banging her head against the table..."

Riley laughed and said with a genuine smile, "Oh, that. Aria's not great at every subject, but Potions is her best. In fact, she's better than any student in this school at Potions, and I'm almost positive that the reason she tied Harry today was because she's made that potion before."

"Really?" Slughorn asked with surprise. "With success?"

Riley nodded. "Aria has this nasty little quirk about her that, if she starts but can't complete a potion, she'll do nothing else. It's gotten her into trouble before, because she'll refuse to go to classes or anything. She becomes completely obsessed with it. Aria's the best student you'll find in this school when it comes to Potions, and she knew every one of those potions, and yet you didn't even see her, but kept calling on Hermione. She's not arrogant or demanding, but she's never been ignored like that."

"Oh," Slughorn said, sounding surprised. "Well, I –"

"It's nothing to worry about," Riley said, waving a hand at him dismissively. "It's just Aria. Just don't ignore her in class and you won't have that problem again."

"Okay," Slughorn said. "Just one more question." He looked at Riley and said, "That nose of yours..."

"What about it?" Riley asked worriedly, grabbing at her nose.

Slughorn chuckled and shook his head, "No, there's nothing wrong with it. That's just what I wanted to talk to you about. Your sense of smell and hearing is remarkable, better than any I've heard since the year your mother was in school, when six Animaguses walked these hallways illegally and had the hearing of animals, much more heightened than humans." He smiled when he saw Riley's eyes narrow, and he said, "That's what I thought. You and Miss Hardwick?"

"We're legal, but yes," Riley said, blinking calmly. "Registered this last year, in fact."

"Congratulations," Slughorn said, nodding. "You may go."

Riley stood up and said, "You gonna explain this to –"

"Oh, of course," Slughorn said, nodding. "Just go on. Enjoy the rest of the period and I'll cover for you."

Riley shrugged and walked away, slipping the book he'd given her into her backpack. As Riley left the dungeon, she saw Aria standing down the hallway with Harry and Ginny, Aria and Harry explaining what had happened in class to her.

"Riley!" Ginny said brightly as she walked over.

"What's going on?" Riley asked curiously.

"We were going to ask you that," Aria said, frowning. "Did you get in trouble already?"

Riley shook her head and said, "Nah, he's a harmless old walrus. Annoying," she admitted, "But harmless. Anyway, he was just talking to me about Potions and stuff. Oh, and Aria," she said, smiling fakely at Aria. "I made him promise to call on you more in class."

Aria blushed, looking embarrassed.

"So everything's good?" Harry asked, looking at Riley.

Riley smiled and said, "Yeah, everything's good."


	9. Chapter 9: Hermione's Helping Hand

Chapter Nine: Hermione's Helping Hand

As Hermione had predicted, the sixth years' free periods were not the hours of blissful relaxation Ron had anticipated, but times in which to attempt to keep up with the vast amount of homework they were being set. Not only were they studying as though they had exams every day, but the lessons themselves had become more demanding than ever before. Harry barely understood half of what Professor McGonogall said to them these days; even Hermione had had to ask her to repeat instructions once or twice. Riley was working overtime during her free-periods to edit papers and copy down her notes from her classes for them, as she seemed to absorb everything without a problem, as usual. Incredibly, and to Hermione's increasing resentment, Harry's best subject had suddenly become Potions, thanks to the Half-Blood Prince.

Nonverbal spells were now expected, not only in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but in Charms and Transfiguration too. Harry frequently looked over at his classmates in the common room or at mealtimes to see them purple in the face and straining as though they had overdosed on U-No-Poo; but he knew that they were really struggling to make spells work without saying incantations aloud. For a few days, Aria had attempted helping her classmates, but in the end had given up because everyone looked more constipated from the concentration than found improvement. Harry and Ron were still attempting to work with her, but with little improvement.

One result of their enormous workload and the frantic hours of practicing nonverbal spells was that Harry, Ron and Hermione had so far been unable to find time to go and visit Hagrid. He had stopped coming to meals at the staff table, an ominous sign, and on the few occasions when they had passed him in the corridors or out in the grounds, he had mysteriously failed to notice them or hear their greetings.

"We've got to go and explain," said Hermione, looking up at Hagrid's huge and empty chair at the staff table the following Saturday at breakfast.

"We've got Quidditch tryouts this morning!" said Ron. "And we're supposed to be practicing that Agumenti Charm from Flitwick! Anyway, explain what? How are we going to tell him we hated his stupid subject?"

"We didn't hate it!" said Hermione.

"Speak for yourself, I haven't forgotten the skrewts," said Ron darkly. "And I"m telling you now, we've had a narrow escape. You didn't hear him going on about his gormless brother – we'd have been teaching Grawp how to tie his shoelaces if we'd stayed."

"I hate not talking to Hagrid," said Hermione, looking upset.

"We'll go down after Quidditch," Harry assured her. He too was missing Hagrid. "But trials might take all morning, the number of people who have applied. I dunno why the team's this popular all of a sudden."

"Oh, come on, Harry," said Hermione, suddenly impatient. "It's not _Quidditch_ that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting, and frankly, you've never been more fanciable.."

Ron gagged on a large piece of kipper. Hermione spared him one look of disdain before turning back to Harry.

"Everyone knows you've been telling the truth now, don't they? The whole Wizarding world has had to admit that you were right about Voldemort being back and that you really have fought him twice in the last two years and escaped both times."

"Hey, Harry," Aria said, putting in her comment for the first time, before Harry could respond. "Why don't you use your Felix Felicis? Then you're guaranteed a perfect team, and hopefully no girls will bug you today." She poked at her kipper with her fork.

Harry brightened at that idea, and then said, "But it's banned from using on organized sports. Drat!" he stabbed his own kipper with his fork.

"Come on, Harry," a voice said, and Harry looked up to see Riley walking over, a smile on her face. She was wearing her leather jacket and white tanktop, with blue jeans and sandals. "You'll have plenty of chances to use your lucky potion this year. Believe me, I get the feeling we're going to need it."

"Why aren't you upset about not getting it?" Harry asked curiously.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed. "I watched you during that lesson, and you were barely awake. Why didn't you try harder for it?"

Riley raised an eyebrow and said in disbelief, "Are you kidding? If you were to ask me what my luckiest and dream day on this planet would be, it would be to have the other Slytherins be completely silent for a day and not make fun of me about my relations with you guys and this scar, and if I was willing to deal with the detentions I would get from Snape – which I'm not at this point, but I'm not ruling it out – I would just silence them for an entire day." She shrugged. "I don't need any fancy potion for it."

"I see your point," Hermione said, nodding in agreement.

"When are your guys's Quidditch try-outs?" Harry asked, looking up at Riley curiously.

Riley smiled and said, "Right after yours. Actually, it's about an hour later, but you get my point."

"You gonna come watch ours?" Harry asked curiously.

Riley shook her head. "No, I don't believe that rivaling team members should watch try-outs, and I"m going to ask that you four, and anyone else from the team, stay away from ours."

Harry was slightly surprised by this, and he shrugged as he said, "Sure, if you want."

Riley smiled and said, "Thank you. I'll see you guys later." With that, she turned and walked off.

"That was bizarre," Hermione said, sounding surprised.

"That's Riley," Aria said, shrugging as she looked back at her food.

Harry looked at Aria suspiciously and asked, "You know why she's been acting so jumpy since she got her letter, don't you?"

Aria hesitated, opening her mouth, and then thought better of it and said, "She's just under a lot of pressure. You'll find out why soon enough."

* * *

As Harry had expected, the trials took most of the morning. Half of Gryffindor House seemed to have turned up, from first years who were nervously clutching a selection of the dreadful old school brooms, to seventh years who towered over the rest, looking coolly intimidating. The latter included a large, wiry-haired boy Harry recognized immediately from the Hogwarts Express.

"We met on the train, in old Sluggy's compartment," he said confidently, stepping out of the crowd to shake Harry's hand. "Cormac McLaggen, Keeper."

"You didn't try out last year, did you?" Harry asked looking McLaggen up and down.

"I was in the hospital wing when they held the trials," said McLaggen, with something of a swagger. "Ate a pound of doxy eggs for a bet."

"Right," said Harry. "Well... if you wait over there..." He pointed over to the edge of the pitch, close to where Hermione was sitting. He thought he saw a flicker of annoyance pass over McLaggen's face and wondered whether McLaggen expected preferential treatment because they were both "old Sluggy's" favorites.

Harry decided to start with a basic test, asking all applicants for the team to divide into groups of ten and fly once around the pitch. This was a good decision: The first ten was made up of first years and it couldnot have been plainer that they had hardly ever flown before. Only one boy managed to remain airborne for more than a few seconds, and he was so surprised he promptly crashed into one of the goal posts.

The second group was comprised of ten of the silliest girls Harry had ever encountered, who, when he blew his whistle, merely fell about giggling and clutching one another. Romilda Vane was amongst them. When he told them to leave the pitch, they did so quite cheerfully and went to sit in the stands to heckle everyone else.

The third group had a pileup halfway around the pitch. Most of the fourth group had come without broomsticks. The fifth group were Hufflepuffs.

"If there's anyone else here who's not from Gryffindor," roared Harry, who was staring to get seriously annoyed, "leave now, please!"

There was a pause, then a couple of little Ravenclaws went off the pitch, snorting with laughter. After two hours, many complaints, and several tantrus, one involving a crashed Coment Two Sixty and several broken teeth, Harry had found himself three Chasers: Katie bell, returned to them team after an excellent trial; Aria, who had shown herself to be a hundred times better than Harry could ever have imagined – especially considering that once she was in the air, she was completely serious and focused on the game –, and Ginny Weasley, who had outflown all the competition, her only competition being Aria, who had scored only one point less than Ginny, who had gotten seventeen goals. Katie had only completed twelve. Flying beside one another, it was impossible to tell who was better, Aria or Ginny. Demelza Robs, a new find who was particularly good at dodging Bludgers, had been promised a place as an alternate if she wished to train with them, and she happily accepted.

Pleased though he was with his choices, Harry had also shouted himself hoarse at the many complainers and was now enduring a similar battle with the rejected Beaters. "That's my final decision and if you don't get out of the way for the Keepers, I'll hex you," he bellowed.

Neither of his chosen Beaters had the old brilliance of Fred and George, but he was still reasonably pleased with them: Jimmy Peakes, a short but broad-chested third-year boy who had managed to raise a lump the side of an egg on the back of Harry's head with a ferociously hit Bludger, and Ritchie Coote, who looked weedy but aimed well. They now joined Katie, Demelza, Aria and Ginny in the stands to watch the selection of their last team member.

Harry had deliberately left the trial of the Keepers until last, hoping for an emptier stadium and less pressure on all concerned. Unfortunately, however, all the rejected players and a number of people who had come down to watch after a lengthy breakfast had joined the crowd by now, so it was larger than ever. As each Keeper flew up to the goal hoops, the crowd roared and jeered in equal measure. Harry glanced over at Ron, who had always had a problem with nerves. Harry had hoped that winning their final match last term might have cured it, but apparently not, because Ron was a delicate shade of green.

"Oh, for goodness sakes," Aria said, rolling her eyes. She withdrew her wand, concealed it well as she pointed it at Ron, and thought a quick spell. Almost instantly, Ron returned to his normal color, as though all fear had drained from him.

None of the first five applicants saved more than two goals apiece. To Harry's great disappointment, Cormac McLaggen saved four penalties out of five. On the last one, however, he shot off in completely the wrong direction; the crowd laughed and booed and McLaggen returned to the ground grinding his teeth.

Ron looked ready to fly as he mounted his Cleansweep Eleven. "Good luck!" cried a voice from the stands.

Harry looked around, expecting to see Hermione, but it was Lavender Brown. He would have quite liked to have hidden his face in his hands, as she did a moment later, but thought that as the Captain he ought to show slightly more grit, and so turned to watch Ron do his trial.

Aria rolled her eyes as she mounted her broom, having seen Lavender as well. _Well, there's an unexpected pairing,_ she thought to herself bitterly. _Hopefully, Ron won't fall for it. It's obvious as day who likes him..._

Yet he need not have worried. Ron saved one, two, three, four, five penalties in a row. Delighted, and resisting joining in cheers of the crowd with difficulty, Harry turned to McLaggen to tell him that, most unfortunately, Ron had beaten him, only to find McLaggen's red face inches from his own. He stepped back hastily.

"His sister didn't really try," said McLaggen menacingly, "She gave him an easy save, and that girl Aria? She practically _gave_ it to him."

"Rubbish," said Harry coldly. "Ginny's was the one he nearly missed, and he could have had a concussion from Aria's, had he not moved a second earlier. He won, get over it. Now, get out of my way." He thought for a moment that McLaggen might punch him, but he contented himself with an ugly grimace and stormed away, growling what sounded like threats to thin air.

Harry turned around to find his new team beaming at him. "Well done," he croaked. "You flew really well –"

"You did brilliantly, Ron!" This time it was Hermione running toward them from the stands. Lavender was walking away with Parvati, looking extremely grumpy.

After fixing the time of their first full practice for the following Thursday, Harry, Ron and Hermione bade good-bye to the rest of the group, Aria saying good-bye to Demelza before running after them.

"You were great out there, Aria," Harry said, smiling proudly at Aria as Ron bragged to Hermione. "I know Angelina told me you were good, and so did Katie and Alicia, but I didn't know you had it in you."

Aria smiled and said, "Well, I used to play when a bunch of us practiced together at Silvergates. Half of us were on the Quidditch team, half of us were just helping out. I played Chaser and helped Riley out as Seeker and Beater. After three years, I got to be pretty good. I could have joined the Maress team, but I was more interested in the Potions Club at the time, that is until I became twice as good as everyone there and wound up being an unpaid teacher."

"Oh, that's right!" Harry said brightly. "Riley's got try-outs soon. Wish we could watch. Should be interesting."

Aria smiled slightly and said, "Oh, believe me, it _will_ be."


	10. Chapter 10: Tryouts

A/N: I am so so so so sooooooo sorry, everyone! These last couple of days, I have been completely swamped. Between doctors visits, meetings, being sick and drugged (don't ask) I haven't been able to update. I have to write the next chapter, but then I'll be good for a while. I hope you enjoy, because this chapter helps to explain some things, and prepare you for others.

Yeah, this story is definitely going to vary from the original in the Quidditch aspect, though the end result kinda ends up being the same. Don't ask, you'll figure it out as the story goes on. But for the meantime, Malfoy is going after Quidditch and will be active in it, following up on it a lot. Also, I understand that Urqhart or whatever his name is is supposed to be the Captain, but bear with me for argument's sake...

* * *

Chapter Ten: The New Captain

"Hey, Dustin," Draco said as he walked into the locker room, where the Slytherin Keeper was pulling on his robes. "Where's the Captain's equipment, you know the stuff Montague left me?"

Dustin looked over at Draco in surprise and said, "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Draco asked, confused.

* * *

Riley finished tying her hair up in a ponytail, feeling the elastic snap as she pulled her fingers away. She was adjusting her green and silver Slytherin Quidditch uniform, her name printed in silver on the back, when the locker room door slammed open and a voice yelled, "What _the hell_ is going on here, Riley?"

Riley looked behind her and saw Draco standing inside the doorway, his face right and furious. Riley looked in either direction and said in surprise, "You _do_ realize that this is a _girl's_ locker room, don't you?"

"Is this some kind of joke?" Draco demanded, stopping and facing her. "Since when are _you_ Slytherin's Quidditch Captain?"

"Since it was decided at the beginning of the year," Riley said as she stood up. She grabbed at her long black leather gloves and pulled them over her robe sleeves, bringing them up to her elbows. "I got the Badge and information with my booklist, along with my Prefect's badge. It was a rather thick envelope, caught me by surprise. I was under the impression that you'd been informed." She craned her neck and admitted, "Though it explains the silence."

"I went to find the Captain's supplies and was told by Dustin that it's been ordered for _you_," Draco said in disbelief, ignoring Riley. "Montague chose _me_!"

"And _Dumbledore_ and _Snape_ chose me," Riley said as she turned around, her arms folded as she stood with all of her weight centered to her right.

"_Excuse_ me?" Draco said in disbelief.

"Yes, Montague chose you," Riley admitted as she adjusting her gloves. "But Dumbledore and Snape chose me, and in the end, the headmaster and Head of House have the right to overrule

"What cause could they possibly have?" Draco exclaimed in disbelief.

Riley smiled and scoffed before asking in disbelief, "You're kidding, right?"

Draco frowned and said simply, "I thought you hadn't told anyone about that."

Riley frowned and said nothing for a minute before admitting, "No, I haven't, but your involvement with Umbridge last year didn't exactly go unnoticed, nor did your _slight_ tendency to be biased and brutal in Quidditch. You intentionally provoked your opponents into attacking you so that they would be suspended."

"If I remember correctly, I wasn't the only one," Draco pointed out.

"I didn't _try_ to get clobbered," Riley retorted. "I was defending _you_ when that happened."

"Didn't know there was a difference," Draco said through narrowed eyes.

Riley rolled her eyes and sighed before saying, "Look, Draco, we may have our problems, but you're a good Seeker. Not as great as some, but you're good. Thing is, I'm the Captain," she said, and she saw Draco roll his eyes. She then said more clearly, "Whether you like it or not, _I'm_ Captain, and I refuse to give that position up. So get off your high horse quickly, or else you'll be up the stands all season." She turned around and shoved her clothes into her locker, pulling out her broom. "Try-outs are in ten minutes. You wanna join me this year, you're welcome to join as my second-in-command." She turned around, broom in her hand as she said, "That's _if_ you can follow my lead."

"Your lead?" Draco said snidely. "You mean listen to your orders. You think you can get payback on me for treating you like crap by making me listen to everything you say, now that you're Prefect again, and everyone seems to be on your side again."

"You know, the thought had never crossed my mind," Riley said, looking at Draco. Without bothering to look at it, she slammed the locker door shut with a "bang!", her eyes suddenly darkening and her voice growing cold as she said, "but it's not a bad idea." She held onto her broom and walked over toward Draco and the exit. He grabbed her by the arm as she stopped, their bodies standing right next to one another, but facing opposite directions. Riley felt like slugging Draco, or cursing him, since the last time that she'd touched him like this was when he'd beaten her last year.

"So you're telling me that you don't go to bed every night thinking that I'm in the other room, the same person who left all of those scars on your back?" Draco asked, glancing over at Riley. "You don't feel the pain of it all again?"

Riley frowned, thinking of the dreams that she constantly had, reliving the night that she was tortured by the Malfoys, father and son, and how every hope she'd had of Draco being good again had gone out the window. She could feel the horrible sensation that ran through her as he touched her again, every muscle in her body tensing and the urge to gasp. He'd known what she would do on the train when he'd passed by her; she couldn't let him feel that satisfaction again.

Riley looked over at Draco, her eyes meeting his as she said, "There's only one person in this life that I seek vengeance on." Draco blinked and Riley said, "Right family, wrong member." With that, she yanked her arm away and began to walk out. "Come out when you're ready. If you want to, you can stay. If you wait longer than today to decide, you have to try out yourself."

"And if I don't?" Draco asked over his shoulder, not turning around.

"There are thirty kids out there, seven of whom want to be our Seeker," Riley said, stopping and looking back. "Stay, and your spot's guaranteed. Wait too long, and you have to _earn_ your spot on the team."

"You're going to loose," Draco said.

"No, I won't," Riley said determinedly. "Get used to it, Draco, because this is a new year, and I'm not letting you intimidate me, or influence this House, _especially_ the team. It's just a game!" she yelled as she walked out of the locker room, the door swinging behind her.

Riley walked out onto the Quidditch field and saw that the stands were occupied with nearly twenty people, some from Slytherin and some not. She recognized Aria up in the stands, looking out over them. Riley frowned, thinking to herself. She walked over to the Slytherin kids who were waiting to try out.

"I want you guys to get your brooms ready," Riley instructed. "Also, line up into rows based on your years, and then by height. It'll make it easier to sort you guys out. I'll be back in a minute, and then I'll brief you on the way this is going to work." Riley then turned around and walked over toward the stands, toward Aria.

Aria smiled as Riley walked over. "You look impressive," she said, looking Riley up and down. "Very professional."

"What are you doing out here?" Riley asked impatiently.

"Mocking you for looking so different," Aria said, grinning from ear to ear as she looked at Riley.

"You know the rules," Riley said. "You heard me this morning. It's bad enough that we have people not from Slytherin out here, but you're on _Gryffindor's_ Quidditch team. It's not fair for you to be able to see the try-outs."

"Come on," Aria said, shrugging. "At least you don't have kids from other Houses trying out like we did."

"Aria," Riley said in a warning tone. "You are the only one that I've told that I'm doing this. No one else has known until today that I'm Captain." Aria frowned, and Riley explained quietly, "These guys are barely holding on here. The only reason they're here is because they want on the team, and they think it's going to be easy. I can't let them think that you can break the rules just because you're my friend."

Aria hesitated, her eyes changing with understanding. She nodded and said, "All right. Tell me about it later?"

Riley nodded and said, "Promise."

Aria got to her feet and began to walk away, stopping only to look back, but by then Riley had begun to walk away. Aria couldn't help but marvel at how different Riley seemed this year around the Slytherins. Some of it was good, and Aria frowned as she reflected on the parts of it that weren't so good.

Riley walked over to the Slytherin applicants and she said, loudly and clearly, "All right, guys, as you all know, I'm going to be the Quidditch Captain for Slytherin this year." She saw Crabbe and Goyle look around awkwardly, as though waiting for someone. Pansy was dong the same thing, as well as Dustin and Griff. Riley said aloud, "If you guys have a problem with the fact that I'm Captain, and not Draco, fine. That's not my problem. What _is_ my problem is if you can't function on this team under my orders. Draco-"

"I'm here," Draco said, somewhat surprising Riley as he walked out onto the field in his robes, his broom in his left hand. He walked over and stood beside Riley, glancing at her before she nodded curtly at him.

Riley turned her head back to the others and said, "Draco will be second in command next to me. That _does not_ mean," she said firmly, looking at Pansy, Griff, Crabbe and Goyle, who had all seemed to brighten up at this, "That you can disobey my orders and listen to him. It means only that if for some unearthly reason, I can't make it to a game, he's in charge. Since I do not see this happening in the foreseen future, there's no need to concern yourselves with it. However, he will be helping me choose who will and won't make the team today."

"Those who were on it last year automatically are on it this year, right?" Crabbe asked expectantly.

"No," Riley said, knowing that Crabbe was only asking was because he had no talent whatsoever and wanted on.

"Riley, that's seniority rule," Draco said, not sounding commanding but surprised.

"But it's not _my_ rule," Riley said, looking back at Draco. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she sent him a challenging look back, reminding him of their earlier conversation. He looked away in defeat, and Riley turned her head back toward the others, only to see Draco's supporters staring at him in astonishment, clearly as surprised as she was relieved at his submission. "That's right," Riley said, not sounding at all weak. "Things are going to change this year. We've got thirty kids here, and only seven positions to fill. I'm not gong to let you guys slide through easily, because I don't intend to lose this year to any team. I plan to win, and I'm going to compose the team that I believe will do that."

"Wait a minute, you said you had _seven_ spots to fill?" Pansy asked in surprise.

"That's right," Riley said. "Draco will be the team's Seeker and I will be one of the Beaters." She saw the faces of some second and third years drop at the idea that they couldn't be Seekers (Riley had made it a rule that first years couldn't apply). Riley went on to say, "On top of that, I want two alternates training with the team at all times. That doesn't mean that they will get to play a lot, or even at all, but I'm sure that there will be some kind of injury this year and I want to have replacements in line for if they get injured. Plus, they'll be more prepared for next year's try-outs."

"_Biased bitch_," Riley heard Goyle mutter under his breath, turning his head away.

Riley narrowed her eyes at Goyle and said, "Goyle, get the hell off my field."

"_What_?" everyone exclaimed, and Goyle looked at Riley in alarm, clearly not expecting her to have heard him. "What happened?" a first year asked in confusion.

Riley walked right up to Goyle, her eyes level to his and filled with determination to his fear as she said in a cold voice, "You may think that I'm a _biased bitch_, but I'm the _bitch_ who's running this team. Now, I said to _get off my field_."

"You can't throw him out _already_!" Crabbe argued in disbelief.

Riley looked at Crabbe through narrowed eyes and said, "I can throw _anyone_ off that I very well please." She saw Crabbe look at her in surprise and refrain from flinching, and she said spitefully, "I can tolerate disrespect in the dormitory, but I _will_ _not_ tolerate it out on this field." She looked at Goyle and said, "On this field, _I'm_ the Captain, and _I'm_ in command. You're _not_ following Draco's lead out here, and you sure as hell aren't going to have him to hide behind. I put up with a lot from you when we're in the classroom and dormitory, but out here, you will listen to what I have to say. Now get off or I'll remove you."

"Try it," Goyle sneered, though he looked terrified.

"I wouldn't dare her to," Draco said, his eyes narrowed at Goyle. "She could."

Riley felt as surprised as the others looked, but she didn't show it as she continued to look at Goyle. He looked between Draco and Riley, Draco looking away, unable to meet their gazes. Goyle then scoffed and turned to walk way, leaving the others on the field.

As soon as Goyle was gone, Riley turned around and said aloud, "Anyone else think I'm a biased bitch?" There was a moment of silence, and though several people looked around at one another, no one said anything. Riley faced them and said, "Come on, guys, now's the time to get any hard feelings out, because out here, you're going to have to put it all aside. Out here, we're going to compete against the other Houses, and I need you all on my side. We're going to train until these patterns and skills and burned into your brain, and I'm not going to go easy on anyone. _Out here_, you're in _my_ arena, and you're going to do as _I_ say, so if anyone isn't comfortable with my expectations, then say it now, and get out of here."

Most of the Slytherins looked around, and Riley looked over at Draco to see him with his arms folded and head lowered, a smirk on his face. Riley turned her head to look back at the Slytherins, and saw that none of them had left. Riley smiled and said, "Good. Let's get started."

"All right," Draco said, moving forward. "Let's split you guys up into groups of who's trying out for what position."

"Beaters, over here!" Riley said, backing up and holding a hand up.

"Chasers, over here!" Draco said, holding a hand up and backing away.

"Keepers over here!" Draco said, moving over to another space. "And if you're not sure what you want to do, or you want to be an alternate, go over to where Riley's standing now!" Riley had moved from her original spot to another one, holding her hand up.

* * *

Aria sat on one of the stands in her cat form, looking down over the try-outs with interest. She knew that it was unethical to be here when she was from another team, and after having had promised Riley that she would leave, but Aria couldn't get over watching Malfoy and Riley work together. She felt somewhat betrayed, in awe, and in dismay as she watched the two act as though nothing had happened the year before, as though everything was perfect. Watching them, particularly Malfoy as he continually looked over at Riley when she wasn't paying attention to him, Aria couldn't help but feel a pit grow in her stomach.

_He's still in love with her, _Aria thought bitterly as she watched Malfoy look at Riley. She felt disbelief beyond comparison as she thought, _After everything he's done, and she's gone through, he still wants her. How could he possibly think that he has a chance with her?_

* * *

The first years and second years were mediocre fliers at best, not that the older kids were much better. Riley watched from the air as kid after kid went by on their broom, thinking they were as good as Viktor Krum and ready to take on the Irish in the next World Cup. Riley and Draco both hovered in the air, looking at one another awkwardly.

There were a few kids, though, that Riley took an interest in. One was a second-year girl with blonde hair and green eyes, zooming around in the air on her Nimbus 2001. Her name was Adrien Bistus, and she had more than talent when it came to flying. Riley had begun to get to know her the previous year, and she'd spent quite a bit of time with Adrien, one of the few girls that sat with her in the Great Hall and didn't make fun of her. As Riley watched her in the air, she could easily imagine the girl as a Chaser, fast and quick with little fear of falling, and a natural balance on the broom. She had great flying abilities, no fear of falling off, or of getting up into the face of her opponent.

Riley watched as Adrien caught the Quaffle in the air and zoomed around, dodging Crabbe's shoddy shot of the Bludger toward her. She swiftly pulled her head to one side and threw the Quaffle over to a third-year named Jess who quickly caught the ball, dodging as Griff came flying over her. Riley was impressed by both girls, and she quickly noticed the Bludger coming around again.

"Hand that to me," Riley said, holding her hand out to Draco, who was holding her bat.

Draco raised an eyebrow and handed Riley her bat. Riley took the bat and suddenly went flying up into the air, moving straight up without angling her broom any differently. She zoomed upward at an incredible speed, chasing after the zooming Bludger. She held the bat back with one hand as she came closer, weaving with it as it moved, until she was right beside it. She then hit it with everything she had in her, and watched as it went flying downward, heading straight for Adrien.

"Adrien, look out above you!" Jess yelled.

Adrien didn't bother to look around, but quickly slid underneath her broom, hanging onto it with her right hand, the Quaffle once again in her hand, but now tucked under her arm. Adrien allowed herself to dangle from it as the bludger blew bast where her head would have been a few seconds before. She then kicked her legs back up over the handle of the broom, getting herself back up on before taking off again, the Quaffle still tucked underneath her arm.

Riley looked down at Draco with an impressed look on her face. He nodded in agreement. They'd found themselves a couple of Chasers.

After regaining her balance, Adrien flew upward toward the ring and threw it forward, only for a boy with spiky bleach-blonde hair to zoom up out of nowhere and kick the Quaffle with the heel of his foot, a smirk on his face as he did so. The Quaffle fell downward, only for Pansy to come flying forward, grabbing the Quaffle. Two boys, fourth-years, came flying at her, only for Pansy to skillfully fly over them and twist around one as he came at her with a bat.

"Easy, Steve!" Riley yelled. "You don't hit people with the bats, only Bludgers!" Then she thought, _Most of the time._ She looked at Draco and saw a smirk on his face, and she knew that he was thinking the same thing.

Pansy flew up into the air and sent the Quaffle flying forward, only for a boy with greyish hair to come flying upward, catching the Quaffle in his hands. He then waited for Adrien and Jess to come back around, and then threw it to them.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went similar to that. By the end, Riley was comfortable with her choices, with the people that she and Draco had chosen to join the team. It wasn't until dark that the try-outs were completely done with, and Riley was pulling off her robes. She felt sore all over, and as Riley rolled her neck, she set her left hand on it and frowned when she came across a scar on the back of her neck, one that had been inflicted by Lucius Malfoy, yet another reminder of how she and Draco would never be casual friends again, how the amusement of today was only temporary.

"Hey," Pansy's voice woke Riley from her thoughts.

Riley looked over at her classmate and said, "Hey, what's up?"

"Thanks for letting me on the team," Pansy said awkwardly.

"Not a problem," Riley said, pulling her robes off and revealing her white tanktop. "You earned it. I wouldn't have let you on if you hadn't." She pulled off her tanktop and reached for a fresh one from her locker.

As Riley pulled her tanktop on, Pansy hesitated, and then said, "You put a good team together today, in spite of everything."

"'In site of everything'," Riley said, looking at her locker as she pulled the tanktop down over her her bare stomach. "You mean in spite of the fact that you all despise me and were predicting my failure and incompetence before you ever stepped on the field?"

"We were just expecting Draco to become Captain, that's all," Pansy said.

"Look, I get it," Riley said, reaching for her leather vest. She pulled it on and was zipping it up to under her chest as she said, "I'm not the Captain that you guys wanted. In fact, ever since the whole Umbridge incident last year, nothing about me has been what you guys wanted, but that's the way things are."

"We're just not used to having someone in Slytherin who's so friendly with everyone in Gryffindor," Pansy explained.

"I get it," Riley said, and then reached for her backpack from within the locker. "But did it ever occur to you guys that there was a time once when Gryffindor and Slytherin did get along. I mean, this school was _built_ on those two houses and their founders getting along," she added as she looked over at Pansy while shoving some stuff from her locker into her backpack.

"Things have changed," Pansy said, shrugging.

"You're right," Riley said, closing the flap on her backpack. "In a lot of ways. In fact, it's time that a lot more things changed. You guys aren't going to be the same when I'm done with you," she said as she pulled her backpack strap over her shoulder.

"You're not going to change our opinions about Gryffindor," Pansy said, frowning with her eyes narrowed.

"I said 'changes'," Riley said as she walked past Pansy, her robes on her arms. "Not miracles." With that, she walked out of the locker room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Riley was on her way back from the dormitory, heading toward the Great Hall for dinner, when Aria ran up beside her. "So," Aria said brightly. "Wanna tell me how the try-outs went?"

"You know how they went," Riley said, looking forward. She smiled at the look of alarm on Aria's face, and she said, "Come on, Aria, don't insult my intelligence or sense of smell."

"Okay, I admit it, I hung around in my cat form," Aria said, a smile on her face. "You don't seem too mad about it, though."

"I knew you'd hang around," Riley said, and then turned her head to say, "But I got the point across to my players, so I'm good."

"You looked like you had some good ones out there," Aria observed. "A lot of bad ones, given, but some good ones."

"Yeah," Riley said, somewhat impressed with herself. "I'm actually really pleased."

"I saw Goyle get thrown off of the field," Aria said, smiling. "Must've felt great to tell him off."

"That's not why I did it," Riley pointed out, trying to keep a straight face.

"You can't tell me that it didn't feel good to tell him off after everything that happened last year," Aria said, her eyes twinkling knowingly.

Riley smiled, trying to suppress a laugh. "Okay, I guess I can't."

Aria laughed and said, "So come on, tell me, who'd you pick for your team?"

"You guys talkin' bout the Slytherin team?" Harry asked as he and Ron walked over with Hermione.

"Honestly, can't you guys talk about anything other than Quidditch?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"No," everyone else, including Riley, said simply. Hermione rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"Yeah, try-outs for Slytherin just ended," Riley said. "They weren't bad, I have to admit."

"So, _you're_ the Captain this year?" Harry asked, sounding amazed, but with a smile on his face. "That's what you were talking about, isn't it, Aria?" he asked, looking at Aria. She said nothing. Harry looked at Riley and said, "So that's what you were all freaked out about this summer?"

Riley nodded and said, "Dumbledore sent me this letter along with my Prefect's and Captain's Badge, explaining the situation to me, and explaining that I might have more problems than most captains because of the fact that they were all expecting Draco and got me instead." She smiled at Harry. "I'm looking forward to it, though. Things ought to get interesting, don't you think?"

"That's one word for it," Riley said, nodding with a smile on her face.

"'Awkward' is another one," Ron pointed out.

"Oh, come on, Ron," Aria said, smiling as she walked backwards, facing her friends. "It'll be fun, playing against one another."

"Do you remember the _fun_ we had last year?" Ron asked through narrowed eyes. "Riley ended up with a mouth full of blood, Fred and George with broken knuckles, Malfoy with a broken face – not that I can say I'm sorry about that – Harry almost got a lifeban, and we almost lost Riley as a friend."

"I can see where he's coming from," Hermione admitted, surprising everyone.

Riley shrugged and said, "Well, this year Draco isn't heading up the team with Montague, and if he tries anything like that again, I'll make the entire team make him regret it."

"You think you have that kind of power over them?" Harry asked with surprise.

Riley nodded and said confidently, "Oh yeah. The moment they try to test my leadership, they're going to find out just how serious I am about this year."

"You sound like you don't have much confidence in their loyalty," Hermione said, looking at Riley with a frown on her face.

Riley frowned and said, "Draco still has a lot of influence over them, especially the older kids. I have some of the younger ones' loyalty, but the older ones, I'm sure they'll make some sort of public display of defiance. When they do, I'll be ready."

"Spoken like a true dictator," Ron said, sounding surprised.

Riley shrugged. "No, like a true Slytherin."

"You lot are truly a breed unto yourselves," Aria said, rolling her eyes as she turned around, rejoining the group. "I'll never understand you all, every day like a game of chess, each move backed up with trickery and deceit."

Riley shrugged. "Slytherin's a place where you have to fight to survive. If I let them find a weakness in me, they'll trample me over and have Draco in power before the first meet."

"That reminds me," Harry said. "Our first games in three weeks. You ready?"

Riley smiled, her eyes filled with a competitive grin, and she said, "You bet."

"Who's on your team?" Riley asked curiously.

"Let's see," Harry said, raising his head and thinking. "Katie Bell, Ginny, and Aria are our Chasers, Ron's our Keeper, there's me, Demelza Robins is an alternate, and then we have Ritchie Coote and Jimmy Peakes for our Beaters."

"Not a bad line up," Riley said, sounding impressed. "I've seen Peakes out on the field before, practicing with his own Bludger. Kid's got some power."

Harry nodded in agreement and asked, "Who's on your team?"

"Huhh," Riley said, sighing as she flung her hair over her shoulder. "Let's see, our Chasers are a second-year girl named Adrien, a third-year named Jess, and Pansy Parkinson."

"_Really_?" Harry asked in surprise, looking at Riley as though she was insane. "Are you sure about that?"

Riley nodded and said, "She's actually gotten really good since last year. I wasn't going to let her back on, but she surprised me." She thought back to her roster and said, "For a Keeper, we have Seth..."

"The kid with the spiky grey hair?" Hermione asked, sounding almost grossed out. "Did you know that's _natural_ for him?"

Riley nodded and continued to say, "For alternates, we have Marcus, Kalyn and Griff, for Beaters, we have Chad and me..."

"No Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron asked in surprise.

Riley shook her head, a frown on her face as Aria struggled not to laugh. "No, Goyle got kicked off the field before we even started the try-outs because of his big mouth, and Crabbe has absolutely no talent, so Draco and I agreed that Chad was better. Even though he's only a second-year, he can actually hit the Bludgers in the _right_ direction."

"You and Malfoy decided _together_?" Hermione asked in surprise.

Riley narrowed her eyes when she saw the suspicion in her friends' eyes. "Yes, guys," she said bitterly. "Draco is still on the team. He's still our Seeker, and that's not changing, not as long as he listens to me."

"Fat chance of that," Ron snorted.

"We'll see," Riley said. "Until then, he's my second-in-command."

"Expect a pair of broken hands, is all I say," Ron said.

"Ron," Riley said warningly.

"Come on, Riley, you know better than anyone what he's like," Ron said, stopping in front of the group and facing them, Riley with her arms folded. Ron narrowed his eyes at Riley and said harshly, "Or are you willing to forget everything that he did to us all last year, especially you?m"

"You think that I can forget what he and Lucius did to me?" Riley asked crossly.

"It seems like you already have," Ron said snidely.

"Ron," Harry said crossly.

"Well?" Ron asked in disbelief, looking at Harry.

"Ron, does this have anything to do with your fear for my safety, or your fear of facing what Draco will do to you when he finds out that you made the team?" Riley asked, setting her hands on her hips. "You know he won't let you forget it, right, that he'll mock you for it?"

"Of course I know that," Ron said, blushing. "But that's not-"

"_I'm_ the Captain of the Slytherin team," Riley said, her eyes narrowed. "So trust me for once in your life and stick to your own team." With that, she stormed off, leaving the others alone.

"Good going, Ron," Hermione said sarcastically.

"He's right," Aria said, looking after the direction that Riley had disappeared in.

"What?" Hermione and Ron asked in surprise, looking at Riley as though she was a ghost.

Aria shrugged and said, "Malfoy hasn't given up on her, and I don't know if she knows that."

"You think Malfoy _still_ likes her?" Harry asked in surprise. "Is that disturbing, or what?"

"Spend five minutes watching them, and tell me otherwise," Aria said, glancing at Harry. "Tell me after your first match against Slytherin, and watch the way he looks at her when she's not looking at him. It's there, guys, but you can't let her know it, because her knowing it could cause problems all over again."

"Why doesn't Riley just get out of Slytherin and come join us?" Ron asked, confused.

"She has her reasons," Aria said, "But mainly..."

"It's not right," Hermione explained. "The Sorting Hat chooses where each person belongs based on their personality and brains."

_Not always, _Harry thought, remembering how he'd chosen which House he wanted to be in.

"But it's _Slytherin!_" Ron exclaimed.

"Good grief, Ron!" Hermione said in disbelief. "It's not war here, as much as it may seem like it sometimes. This school wasn't built on anger, and it wasn't meant to be." Ron blushed in embarrassment.

"There's that," Aria said, and then she added, "But I think that it goes deeper than that. I think that Riley really likes being in Slytherin, because she feels like she can do some good there. Whether they hate her or not, her opinions _do_ get across to them, and she really has the personality of a true Slytherin, not evil, but cunning, smart, talented, and with a mind that can adapt to any situation."

"You think that all of those Slytherins are chosen because they possess those qualities?" Harry asked, looking at Aria disbelievingly.

Aria hesitated, and then said, "I think that they _could_, if they wanted to, but they've all submitted themselves to their parents ideas and beliefs. In that case, no one can win."


	11. Chapter 11:Ron's World Turned Upsidedown

A/N: I am soooooooooooo sorry that it's taken this long to get this chapter up, especially because I know that people are used to me sending up multiple chapters a day, and in that case, this story would probably be done already, but I've been really sick lately, and the semester just ended and re-started, so I've been busy for a while, but here it is. This is going to be a short chapter, but it's just part of the story. So, please enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Ron's World Turned Upside-down

Aria walked down the staircase from the Gryffindor's tower to the Great Hall. She walked with a light step, smiling as she thought of what would be coming soon: the Hogsmeade trip. They would be going to Hogsmeade, and she and Riley would finally be able to see Fred and George again. The idea of seeing George caused Aria's fingertips to prickle excitedly, her eyes dancing with laughter. She was excited, but said nothing, didn't even notice the extra bounce to her step.

"Hey there, Missy," a voice said in amusement.

Aria turned her head and smiled when she saw Riley walking over. Riley had a teasing grin in her eyes as she said, "You're in an awfuly good mood."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Aria said brightly, unable to hide her smile.

Riley chuckled and looked forward, saying in a sarcastic tone, "Suuuure you don't."

Aria and Riley both laughed as they made their way into the Great Hall. Riley squeezed Aria's arm encouragingly as she turned and walked in the opposite direction, away toward the Slytherin table while Aria walked over to the Gyrffindor table.

Aria walked over and began to pile food onto her plate as she sat down, eavesdropping on Harry, Hermione and Ron's conversation, which seemed to be something of an argument. Almost immediately, Aria realized that they were discussing the events of early that morning, when Harry had cast some kind of silent spell that had levitated Ron into the air, upsidedown. Aria had heard the screams and crashes, and it haad, in fact, woken her up, only for her to fall back asleep for another hour. Still, she'd found it quite amusing when she was told the story by Seamus and Dean later. Still, it was apparent that Hermione didn't find the story funny at all, scowling across the table at them.

"Was this spell, by any chance, another one from that potion book of yours?" she asked.

Harry frowned at her. "Always jump to the worst conclusion, don't you?"

"Was it?"

"Well... yeah, it was, but so what?"

"So you just decided to try out an unknown, handwritten incantation to see what would happen?"

"Oh, lay off, Hermione," Aria said, poking her fork at her breakfast as she glanced over at Hermione. "They're not doing anything wrong."

"They certainly are!" Hermione said, sounding offended. "And I'm shocked that you don't find this disturbing in the least!"

Aria raised an eyebrow at Hermione and asked, "Which part? The only thing that I know is that Harry took a chance on a spell and it turned out okay. For whatever reason, you've got it in your head that Harry's glowing to blow us all up. Sure, he doesn't know everything about these spells, but neither do you when you open up a spell book that you didn't get from your teachers. The Restricted Section is full of Dark books and Dark knowledge, but it hasn't caused you guys any harm in the past." She nodded to Harry and said, "This Prince person seems to have a pretty good idea of what he's doing, and I haven't seen any reason yet to believe otherwise."

"But it's been handwritten in!" Hermione argued, looking mortified at Aria.

"So?" Aria scoffed, shrugging. "I hand-write stuff into my books all of the time, and you wouldn't hesitate to take my suggestions, would you?"

"Well, no..."

"So what's the difference?" Aria asked, staring at Hermione.

Harry raised an eyebrow as he looked between the two girls. He understood where Aria was coming from, imagined that she was slightly offended at Hermione's accusations

Hermione continued to say, "It's completely different. We know you. We know that you know your stuff. Harry's going off pure speculation, and I doubt the stuff that he's been doing is Ministry of Magic-approved."

Aria chuckled and leaned back stretching her arms as she said in a tight voice, "Yeah, because last year didn't show us how the Ministry's idea of 'approved' magic is useless." She looked over at Hermione, who looked completely thrown and confused, and Aria shrugged as she set her arms back on the table, saying, "For your information, I've heard of this spell before."

"You've heard of it?" Hermione asked, though she wasn't the only one surprised by this. Ron and Harry were looking at Aria in alarm.

Aria nodded and said, "It's not commonly practiced, but yeah, I've heard of it. In fact, one of the fifth years from Silvergates, a Slytherin guy, attacked me with it and hung me upside-down in the corridor for half an hour during my third year, teasing me because I'm not a Pureblood." She tilted her head slightly and said awkwardly, "Then Riley showed up."

"What'd she do?" Harry asked, knowing that Riley wouldn't have just stood by and watched as her friend was played with and taunted for her blood.

Aria frowned and said, "She attacked the guy, hexed him. It landed her in detention for two months, and I got a big bruise on my –" She stopped and said, "Well, let's just say that the fall left me with adverse affects."

Harry and Hermione both smiled, though it took Ron a moment to get the hint, and by then he was blushing from embarrassment, though Harry couldn't imagine why.

Aria shrugged and said, "My point is, though, that Riley and I did dozens of spells that would never have been classified as Ministry of Magic-approved, and we turned out okay."

"Yeah," Ron said sarcastically. "Riley's been expelled twice."

Harry glared at Ron and said, "I thought you were on our side."

Ron clamped his mouth shut and said nothing.

Harry turned his head as he heard someone begin to walk over, only to blink in surprise and pleasure when he saw Ginny. She smiled at him, walking over with a piece of parchment that had been rolled up.

"Hey, Harry, I"m supposed to give you this," she said, holding the parchment out.

Harry took the parchment and looked down at it, at his name written on it. He smiled when he recognized the thin, slanting writing. "Thanks, Ginny..." he said brightly. "It's Dumbledore's next lesson!" Harry told Ron and Hermione, pulling open the parchment and quickly reading its contents. "Monday evening!" He suddenly felt light and happy, and turned to look at Ginny again and asked, "Want to join uys in Hogsmeade, Ginny?" he asked curiously.

Ginny frowned and replied in a casual, but not overly enthused tone, "I'm going with Dean - might see you there." With that, she turned and waved as she walked off.

Aria raised an eyebrow curiously at Harry as she watched him watch Ginny walk off. She wanted to slap him upside the head, but restrained herself. Instead, she stood up after finishing her food and ran off to the tower to grab her cloak. It was time to go to town.


	12. Chapter 12: Katie!

Chapter Twelve: Katie!

The walk into Hogsmeade was not enjoyable. Harry wrapped his scarf over his lower face; the exposed part soon felt both raw and numb. The road to the village was full of students bent double against the wind. The one person that, even after two years of re-occurring proof, showed any enjoyment at the weather, was Riley. She didn't wear her cloak or scarf, only walked through the snow and cold in her leather jacket, tanktop and jeans, a smile on her face as Aria tried to keep up with her, little Aria bundled up and freezing. Harry could never get over just how insane Riley was. There were simple insanities that he could understand, including a patience for Snape, a love for homework, and taking Snape and Slughorn twice a day. Then there were insanities like this where she walked in twenty degree whether without any form of warm clothes on! Harry guessed, though, that part of this cheerfulness was from getting to see Fred and George again, probably the only reason – other than supplying themselves on candy and Butterbeer – that Riley and Aria were coming on a day such as this. And so Riley and Aria walked a good twenty feet in front of them, keeping their distance and yet still in clear sight.

Riley teasingly shoved Aria in the shoulder, knocking her sideways. Aria narrowed her eyes teasingly at Riley and reached out to grab her, only for Riley to jump forward and immediately transform into a wolf. She raced forward, only to have Aria pull out her wand and shoot a spell at her, one that missed Riley by yards. It was obviously a clear miss, but the wolf jumped up in the air and let out a hyper bark before racing off in the snow.

There were several laughs from students who were watching, and Harry couldn't help but smile, in spite of the dry and cracked skin on his face. Every since Riley and Aria had become of age and received their registration for being Animaguses (A/N: I wouldn't know what the plural for that is.) Riley and Aria had been transforming a lot more often, not afraid of showing it in front of other people. The forms that they turned into were such common creatures that it wasn't hard to disguise themselves in the dark when they needed to, in spite of constantly transforming in public.

By the time that they reached Hogsmeade, Harry found that Riley and Aria had disappeared, no doubt looking for Fred and George, whom they'd agreed to notify every time there was a Hogsmeade trip, so that they could meet up together. Harry, Ron and Hermione, however, headed off toward Honeydukes, passing Zonko's Joke Shop on the way and seeing that it was boarded up, a sad discovery to all Hogwarts students. It was the second best joke shop, second only to Fred and George's.

"Thank God," shivered Ron as they were enveloped by warm, toffee-scented air., "Let's stay here all afternoon."

"Harry, m'boy!" said a booming voice from behind them.

"Oh no," muttered Harry.

The three of them turned to see Professor Slughorn, who was wearing an enormous furry hat and an overcoat with matching fury collar, clutching a large bag of crystalized pineapple, and occupying at least a quarter of the shop.

"Yes," said Hermione helplessly, "they're really –"

"So why don't you come along, Harry?" demanded Slughorn.

"Well, I've had Quidditch practice, Professor," said Harry, who had indeed been scheduling practices every time Slughorn had sent him a little, violet ribbon-adorned invitation. This strategy meant that Ron was not left out, and they usually had a laugh with Ginny and Aria, imagining Hermione shut up with McLaggen and Zabini. But it also meant arguing with Riley, and even having to negotiate/trade, in order to get certain practices that she'd already booked. After all, he hadn't been as zealous and booked for the first three months before practices even began, and now he was finding that he was paying for it, primarily in the form of running errands for her during his free period, seeing as he had several and she only had one every other day. However, the items that she'd been requesting were somewhat odd in his opinion, but when it meant avoiding Slughorn, he was willing to do anything without question.

"Well, I certainly expect you to win your first match after all this hard work!" said Slughorn. "But a little recreation never hurt anybody. Now, how about Monday night, you can't possibly want to practice in this weather..."

"I can't, Professor, I've got – er – an appointment with Professor Dumbledore that evening."

"Unlucky again!" cried Slughorn dramatically. "Ah, well... you can't evade me forever, Harry!"

And with a regal wave, he waddled out of the shop, taking as little notice of Ron as though he had been a display of Cockroach Clusters.

"I can't believe you've wriggled out of another one," said Hermione, shaking her head. "They're not _that_ bad, you know... They're even quite fun sometimes..."

"Does Riley go to them?" Harry asked with emphasis, curious on this matter. Somehow, he couldn't see Riley sitting in the same room as the insufferable teacher and Zabini, who all but hated her and wanted her dead.

Hermione's face grew awkward and confused and she admitted uncertainly, "Well, no, not that I can recall... Come to think of it, I can't imagine why she wouldn't come... Perhaps Slughorn didn't let her in..."

Harry shook his head and said knowingly, "Believe me, Hermione, if Riley isn't showing up to those parties, it isn't because she isn't in the Slug Club."

"But then why?"

"Hmm, can't imagine," Harry said sarcastically, turning away. Suddenly curious as to why Riley was ducking out of the parties, Harry decided to make a point of finding out.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks," said Harry. "It'll be warm."

They bundled their scarves back over their faces and left the sweetshop. The bitter wind was like knives on their faces after the sugary warmth of Honeydukes. The street was not very busy; nobody was lingering to chat, just hurrying toward their destinations.

(A/N: Yes, I know I leave out the part about Mundungus, but I never really cared for him anyway...)

It wasn't long before they reached the Three Broomsticks. As they walked in, Harry looked around while pulling off his coat. He was surprised to see that Aria and George were sitting in the far corner, away from anyone else, obviously making use of their time together by snogging.

"Lovely," Ron muttered sarcastically, clearly not having

Hermione hit Ron in the chest and said, "Shut up and leave them alone. This is the first time since school started

"Yeah, and they look like they're buried deep within catching up," Ron muttered sarcastically.

Frankly, Harry was caught somewhere between laughing at Ron and Hermione, vomiting at the snogging, and looking around for Riley and Fred. Surely, if Aria and George were here...

"You lookin' for someone?"

Harry spun around and smiled when he saw Riley walking over from the bar, a smirk on her face and an eyebrow raised knowingly. "Hey there," he said with a smile. "I was just..."

"Watching Aria suck face with George?" Riley asked bluntly.

Harry blushed and admitted, "Yeah, kinda."

"Not too concerned with PDA, huh?" Riley asked, smirking as she looked over.

Hermione and Harry smiled knowingly, but Ron looked confused as he said, "Huh?"

"Never mind," Riley said, shaking her head. "You guys want Butterbeers, hot chocolate? I'm going to go order some for me and Fred."

"A Butterbeer would be great," Hermione said with smile, looking gratefully at Riley.

"Same here," Ron said, nodding as he and Hermione walked off to a far table.

As the two walked away, Riley leaned over and whispered, "Now, if only those two could take a hint."

Harry chuckled and followed Riley to the counter. After placing their order of five Butterbeers, Harry decided to take the chance to satisfy his curiosity. "You been to any of Slughorn's parties yet?" he asked bluntly. "Since the train ride, I mean."

"Nope," Riley said simply. "Don't intend to, either."

"No interest in being _collected_?"

"Which part of me?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow at Harry. She frowned when she saw Harry stare at her in understanding, and she slid her jaw as she said blankly, "There is so much about me that he would find appealing, that I would be paraded around without anyone knowing why."

Harry frowned and asked, "Does Slughorn know, or does he think you're just dodging him?"

"Oh no, he knows," Riley said, somewhat carelessly. "You remember that day he pulled me after class? The day you won the Felix Felicis? Well, I confronted him then and told him that, well, he's a prat, and I agreed with my mom's opinion that he's a spineless git."

Harry chuckled and shook his head as he said, "Only you and your mum would be willing to say that to a Professor."

Riley raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "And how do you know what my mom would and wouldn't do?"

Harry frowned, realizing that he hadn't told Riley the truth about his knowledge of her mum yet. "To be honest," he said uncomfortably, "I had this kind of vision last year... I looked into Snape's Pensieve and saw a memory of his." He saw Riley blink in surprise, and he went on to say, "It was of the day that our parents took their O.W.L.s, one of the days when my dad and his friends attacked Snape."

"Your dad's friends?" Riley asked with a knowing smile. "You mean my dad?"

Harry blinked in surprise and asked, "How much do you know about our parents?"

"Well," Riley began in a sigh, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a thrust of her head as she began to think aloud. "My dad dated your mom, _your_ dad dated _my_ mom, and my dad was a white wolf Animagus named Whitefang, and he hung out with your dad's lot."

Harry felt surprised and asked, "How long have you known about this?"

Riley shrugged and said, "Since last Christmas. Sirius and I did a lot of talking and connecting over that time, and he explained a lot to me about our parents."

Harry frowned at the mention of Sirius's name. Emotions welled over him, but at the same time, he was grateful for Riley's good memories of him. He knew that she respected Sirius, and had mourned him as well. The connection that she'd just mentioned would prove that. Riley was that kind of a person.

"What's this ? I just get her to date me and I'm already losing her to another guy." a voice asked in surprise.

Harry turned his head and smiled in amusement when he saw Fred walking over, his hands held out in mock disbelief, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "Hey, Fred," Harry said with a smile as the Butterbeers arrived

Fred walked up and slid a hand around Riley's waist, Riley's eyes twinkling playfully as she grabbed her Butterbeer and teased Fred, "You know, Fred, there are just some things that you just can't avoid."

Harry laughed in amusement and said, "No, Fred, you're safe. Riley won't be leaving you for me at any time soon. There would be too much incest involved there."

Riley's eyes twinkled in amusement as she looked at Harry. "Have fun, Harry," she said with a smile. "Don't get into too much trouble."

"I could say the same thing to you," Harry admitted teasingly as he watched Riley and Fred begin to walk away.

"Unfortunately for me, trouble is inevitable," Riley laughed as they walked away..

Half an hour later, Harry, Hermione and Ron were walking away from Hogsmeade. They were walking down the road when Harry heard some voices. It was a little while before Harry became aware that the voices of Katie Bell and her friend, which were being carried back to him on the wind, had become shriller and louder. Harry squinted at their indistinct figures.

The two girls were having an argument about something Katie was holding in her hand. "It's nothing to do with you, Leanne!" Harry heard Katie say.

They rounded a corner in the lane, sleet coming thick and fast, blurring Harry's glasses. Just as he raised a gloved hand to wipe them, Leanne made to grab hold of the package Katie was holding; Katie tugged it back and the package fell to the ground.

"Harry?"

Aria's voice was distant, but Harry barely paid attention, for what happened at the exact same moment was much more attention-grabbing.

At once, Katie rose into the air, not as Ron had done, suspended comically by the ankle, but gracefully, her arms outstretched, as though she was about to fly. Yet there was something wrong, something eerie... Her hair was whipped around by the fierce wind, but her eyes were closed and her face was quite empty of expression. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Leanne had all halted in their tracks, watching, while George and Aria were running over to see what was going on.

Then, six feet above the ground, Katie let out a terrible scream. Her eyes flew open but whatever she could see, or whatever she was feeling, was clearly causing her terrible anguish. She screamed and screamed; Leanne started to scream too and seized Katie's ankles, trying to tug her back to the ground. Harry, Ron and Hermione rushed forward to help, and Harry indistinctly heard Aria yell, "Katie!" but even as they grabbed Katie's legs, she fell on top of them; Harry and Ron managed to catch her but she was writhing so much that they could hardly hold her. Instead, they lowered her to the ground where she thrashed and screamed apparently unable to recognize any of them.

"Oh gosh," George said in a sickened tone, looking at Katie with regret. "Katie."

"Harry, where's the thing that cursed her?" Aria asked, looking around with narrowed eyes.

"'Cursed'?" Harry asked in surprise, and Leanne looked alarmed at this.

"That's right," Aria said, looking around. "That eeriness, the way she was acting, they're all common signs of a curse. We're learning about them in Defense Against the Dark Arts Level Seven. Was she holding anything unusual?"

"That package," Leanne said, pointing shakily to the package.

George and Aria slowly and cautiously walked over to the package that Katie had dropped. Aria reached out with her wand and pointed it at the package. The wrappings suddenly began to unfold themselves, and the contents began to lift into the air, revealing something of a hideous necklace made with opals.

Aria levitated the necklace to a foot or so in front of her, her eyes darkening with disbelief and suspicion as she looked at it. Harry frowned, not comfortable with the expression on her face. "What do you think, Aria?" he asked aloud, his eyes narrowed to block the wind.

Aria glanced over at Harry through her narrowed eyes, and she said in a cold voice, "Get Katie to Hogwarts right away, Harry, she's going to need help _now_."


	13. Chapter 13: Riley's Secret Diary

A/N: Okay, before this chapter begins, I'm going to point something out and warn you all. Something big is going to be revealed in this chapter, and it's undoubtedly going to piss a lot of people off, but I had several reviewers ask me what was going to happen, and to explain the first prologue, the intro to this story. I hope not everyone hates me for it, but this is going to take place and part in the next story, not that it's going to change anything, not really. I hope you enjoy, and please don't send me too many flamers, and if you do, please be kind. Snoball, this is your chapter, and it'll answer those questions you had for me, and the discussion we had. As for everyone else, there are things that are going to happen in this story that may seem Mary-suish, but I'm going to point out right now that almost every single one of them were requested by viewers.

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Chapter Thirteen: Riley's Secret Diary

Riley looked down at her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, making notes in it, comments on things that she liked, things that she had never known before, or comments to add to or correct the book's condition. She was surprised at how much she'd grown to enjoy Snape's class, even moreso than Slughorn's Potions class. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but Defense Against the Dark Arts was the one class that she enjoyed coming to every day, except for maybe Care of Magical Creatures, there was no doubt that it was awkward being the only one in the seventh year taking the class. It was more of a job as an assistant than a class, but she enjoyed spending time with Hagrid and Buckbeak, or "Witherwings".

Riley continued looking at the textbook, conscious of every person that passed through the Slytherin common room. She was purposely biding her time, waiting for everyone else to leave. As much as she enjoyed Snape's class and homework, because he was very into his work and taught her things that were as disturbing as they were awing, Riley had another purpose, another goal for tonight. It was something that she'd wanted to do for a while, but found that she wasn't willing to do it unless she was completely alone.

When Pansy and Millicent were the only two Slytherins left outside of their dorms, Pansy asked, "You coming up soon, Riley?"

Riley shook her head and said, "No, I need to get some more homework time in. That, plus I want to come up with some more ideas for Quidditch plays."

Pansy and Millicent seemed to accept this, and walked off toward the girls' dormitory. Riley smiled as she faced the fireplace, her feet propped up onto the table. In spite of everything, Riley was very proud of the Quidditch team that she'd assembled. Every player was good at their position, and even though some of the kids might be complete jerks to Riley at any other time, when they stepped on the Quidditch field, they were all serious. They were a team, and Riley was as pleased as she was proud.

Once Riley was alone, she sat up straight and shoved her black Defense Against the Dark Arts Level Seven book back into her backpack, and pulled out a very thick leather-bound book. It was the book that Slughorn had given to her, one that she hadn't been able to read or explore. Now, she would finally have the chance to see what her ancestors had written, what words they had for her to read.

Riley ran her fingers over the cover, awe filling her at the incredibly accurate leatherwork and etchings. She looked at the snakelike binding and stared it for several moments before saying aloud in Parstletongue, "_Open._"

After a second, the snakelike binding began to move, like snakes spiraling around one another, until the binding separated, leaving the book unlocked. As Riley reached out to open the cover up, it flung open and Riley's head shot back, her eyes widening as she was hit with a powerful force, like a gust of wind that had suddenly shot up from out of the book and impaled her.

All of a sudden, Riley felt herself tunneling in every direction. She wasn't going up or down, but in every direction, seemingly at the same time. Suddenly, she felt herself hit something hard, like she'd just been shoved into a brick wall. As she looked around, Riley found that she wasn't in the common room anymore, but in an entirely different world altogether.

Riley saw a girl with long black hair, grown-out bangs, and wearing a black robe with a blue badge on the chest, walking down a corridor. She couldn't have been any older than eleven, if that, and she walked with her head hung low, her hair hanging over her face. Even so, Riley could see her face, familiar and similar to Riley's. She walked, clutching books and parchment to her chest as she walked. Boys and girls walked around, pointing their fingers at the girl and laughing. Riley realized instantly who this girl must be.

"Rona!"

The girl stopped and turned her head to turn her head, and Riley saw four people standing together. One was a girl who was somewhat heavy set, but not overly, and was wearing purple and yellow. One was a girl who was tall and beautiful, wearing silver and blue, and resembled the first girl remarkably. Riley realized that this must be Rowena Ravenclaw, fourteen and very popular. Standing beside her was a boy with dark hair and gentle eyes, wearing gold and red, and the fourth was a boy with longer, slick blonde hair and wearing silver and green. He was staring at Rona, his gaze calm and filled with interest.

Riley felt as though she was going to drown as a hundred different emotions ran through her body, each seeming stronger than the one before, and coming from different people. Among the strongest of them were laughter, mockery, amusement, hatred, spite, envy, terror, interest, and misery.

Suddenly, the scene changed, and Riley saw a girl sitting on a park bench in the middle of a green park, her hands running through her long black hair. She raised her head, and Riley instantly recognized those brown eyes. It was Rona, only she now appeared to be in her late teens, most likely nineteen or twenty.

"Rona," a voice said calmly and smoothly.

Riley suddenly felt a wave of emotions run through her, and she recognized them as lust, interest, surprise, delight, and fear. Riley turned her head and saw a man standing there, looking over at Rona with clear, calm green eyes. The man was wearing a black cloak, which had been pulled over his shoulders. He stared across the field coolly, a different look in his eyes. His blonde hair was almost four inches longer than before, but Riley had no doubt in her mind that this was the same man that she'd seen in the hallway with Rowena and Rona. Harry was surprised to see the man in this outfit; after all, Rowena and Rona had been alive nearly a thousand years ago, and yet he was wearing an outfit almost identical to the one that Malfoy wore. How was that possible? (Yes, I know that these outfits and settings seem out of time for the era that the characters are in, but that's because they're among witches and wizards, not Muggles, and there is no telling what witches and wizards came up with before Muggles. Just kinda a comment and amused strangeness)

"Salazar!"

Rona stood up, her eyes bright with delight. She walked over at a fast pace and walked right up to the man, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, and Riley noticed a sense of intimacy about the way that they held one another.

Rona pulled her head back and smiled at the man, whom Riley realized now was Salazar Slytherin. "I'm glad you were able to make it," Rona said with a gentle smile, her hands still on his neck.

Salazar smiled gently back at Rona and said smoothly, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Rona frowned slightly and asked uncertainly, "Does my sister know where you are?"

Salazar shook his head. "No. Rowena's still upset about the incident."

Rona shrugged and pulled her hands down from his neck, setting them on his arms. His hands were still on her waist, and she looked up at him without pulling back. "I'm not surprised," she admitted. "Everyone was shaken up by it. I just wish that she could stop hating me for it."

Salazar pulled one of his hands back, setting the other on the small of her back as he led her over to the park bench. They sat down and he said with a smile, "I'm glad to see that you're doing so well, considering."

"Considering that my wand was taken away from me and I haven't been able to practice magic with a wand in nine years?" Rona asked, a knowing look in her eyes as she looked at Salazar. There was something of a sly, dark look in her eyes as she smirked and said, "Come now, Salazar, you know that I haven't let the Ministry get in my way of learning and practicing magic with my mind."

Salazar chuckled and said, "You were always more of a rogue than your sister."

Rona gave a wave of her hair, it flying over her shoulder in a way that Riley found very flattering for her. She smiled at Salazar and said pleasantly, "Well, anyone branded with the title of a killer and traitor at the age of eleven would find ways of rebelling, especially when it was in circumstances similar to my own."

"Speaking of which," Salazar said as he adjusted himself. "Tomorrow's the big day, huh?"

Rona smiled proudly as she faced Salazar, crossing one knee with the other. "Yes," she said with a smile. "Tomorrow, I meet with the Minister of Magic and receive a new wand, at last."

Salazar tilted his head slightly to the side and asked, "Have you made any plans for what you're going to do after you get your wand back?"

Rona smiled and said, "Not really. I want to go and test all of the spells that I've been reading about for years out, but after that..." She looked at Salazar, who had a knowing look in his eye, and she asked through narrowed, teasing eyes, "Why? What are you thinking?"

Salazar smiled and said, "I'm heading to a different continent, Rona, and I want you to come with me." When Rona's eyes lit up with surprise, Salazar said, "I want to start a new school, a school of learning magic, where only the best and most talented witches and wizards can learn."

"I thought that was why you were founding Hogwarts," Rona said in apparent surprise. "You left school early to form that school with Rowena and the others."

Salazar shook his head and said with a frown, "It didn't work out. They didn't hold the same values that I did, values that I know you will honor as I do."

Rona raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you have others in mind for heading up this school? Because there's no way that we can do it on our own."

Salazar nodded and said, "There are three others who wish to join us. We've already found over fifty students who have agreed to learn from us. Our credibility will give us the start we need."

Rona smiled proudly and fondly as she said, "Your credibility alone will ensure success. What I don't understand is why you want me to come."

Salazar chuckled and looked down, saying, "Rona, Rona, you were always too modest for your own good." He looked up at her, his eyes twinkling, and he said, "You're an incredible witch, and I know that when you get your wand back, you will be one of the greatest witches ever."

"I'm afraid that I don't believe you," Rona said with a smile. "But I appreciate the compliment, Salazar, really."

Salazar didn't look satisfied, but asked gently, "So, will you come?"

Rona smiled and said, "I'd love to, Salazar. I don't know what help I will be, but I would love to join you."

Salazar reached over with a hand and wrapped it around Rona's. Her gaze softened, but she said nothing, and did nothing to resist. Riley was suddenly hit with a wave of emotions from both man and woman, feelings of mutual affections and interest.

Then, the images suddenly disappeared again, but this time, Riley felt as though she could fall to her knees from the choking emotions. This time, it all boiled up to three emotions: love, lust and aggression.

Riley suddenly saw images of a man with long blonde hair that fell down his bare back, his skin as pale as a ghost's. As Riley looked at the man, she saw that his face was very familiar, the same face that she'd seen not long ago as Salazar Slytherin. He must have been at least five years older, though still very handsome. Riley recognized those blue eyes, her mother's eyes. He was positioned above a woman with black hair and pale skin, and as Riley looked at her, she saw that the woman's face was also familiar, the familiar face of Rona Ravenclaw. Both man and woman were lying beneath a red silk sheet, naked and facing one another. Riley couldn't see anything but the bare arms of the woman that reached up to the man's head. He leaned over and kissed her, her wrapping her fingers in his hair and pulling him closer to her.

Riley had no time to feel grossed out or horrified, because the scene almost instantly changed, giving her barely any time to catch as much detail as she managed to. Next, she was seeing a young girl again, only this time the girl was wearing a Hogwarts uniform. She was standing in the Hogwarts hallway, leaning back against the rail as she looked around her. She was wearing a Slytherin robe, a calm, knowing gaze in her eyes as she looked around, as though scanning the area for someone. Riley saw that she was wearing a ring on her right hand, the same ring that Riley was wearing. She had long black hair, a spitting image of Rona, except for those green eyes. They were Slytherin's eyes, knowing and very snake-like, and Riley realized the truth instantly. The girl must have been fifteen or sixteen, only for Riley to realize just how correct her instincts were when she saw a Prefect's badge on the girl.

"Resa!" a boy called out.

Riley stopped and turned her head, as did the younger girl, to see a boy wearing Slytherin robes running over. He had brown hair and a smile on his face. He walked over, a smirk on his face. "You ready to go play some Quidditch and beat Hufflepuff's butt?" he asked knowingly.

The girl chuckled and walked up to him. She slipped her right hand onto his neck as he reached out with both hands, gripping firmly onto her side. She leaned forward and kissed him, very intimately, and pulled her head back, smiling with a very flirtatious look in her eyes.

"Come on," she said, and walked around the boy, walking down the hallway. "We can't be late, can we?"

The scene suddenly changed, and Riley saw that it was the girl, Resa, again, twenty years older and this time she was standing on the platform in London with a girl with dark brown, almost black, hair and Slytherin-green eyes. She was wearing Hogwarts robes, a first-year.

Resa faced the girl and hugged her, saying lovingly, "Be careful, Rene."

"Rene Forester!" a voice called out, and Riley saw a man from the Hogwarts expression calling out.

The little girl looked up at Resa, hugged her again, and then ran off toward the Hogwarts man. Riley suddenly experienced several flashes of the girl involved in her first year of Hogwarts, joining Slytherin, playing as the team's Seeker, participating in a dueling and potions club during her third and fourth year, becoming a Prefect, Head Girl, and Captain of the Quidditch team, as well as date the same boy for three years, a boy with black hair from Slytherin, who Riley saw her marry.

The scene changed, and Riley saw several more memories of a girl with dark brown, but lighter than her mother's, hair as a girl named Deanne Grey joined Hogwarts. Rene was walking along with the girl into the Great Hall during her third year, a proud smile on her face. Deanne was a Slytherin as well, and went on to become Prefect and Head Girl, as well as one of the Quidditch team's Chasers. When Rene entered the Great Hall, she looked at least forty, and her husband didn't look any different.

The scene suddenly changed again and Riley found herself standing in the entrance hall to the castle for the third time, surrounded by a bunch of kids who appeared to be first years. Riley looked around and was surprised to see a smaller version of Harry standing in the group, along with two other boys. One looked scruffy and with black hair, and the other seemed timid and scared, jumpy as though something was going to bite him.

"Where do you think we'll end up, Sirius?" the younger version of Harry asked excitedly. He spun around, looking in every direction expectantly.

"I don't know, James," the scruffy boy said, shrugging. Riley felt admiration and amusement as she recognized Sirius Black, whom she'd grown to admire, and grieved when she received news of his death. The boy continued to say, "I'm hoping Gryffindor, though heaven knows my mum wants me to end up in Slytherin, like all of my other family members."

"I, I hope we end up in Gryffindor," the third boy said shakily. "But I don't really care, as long as the people there are nice..."

"Come on, Remus," Sirius said, looking at the third boy disbelievingly. "You've got to have some opinion."

"Not really," the third boy said, shaking his head in panic.

"Leave him alone!"

Riley turned her head and blinked in surprise when she saw a girl walking over, one that reminded Riley a lot of herself. She felt her heart lift when she thought she recognized the girl, those green eyes blazing defiantly as she looked over at the three boys. Her brown hair fell down her back and her wand was already in her right hand, that look of annoyance so much like Riley's. She was beautiful, even for an eleven-year-old. Several of the boys stared at her, wide-eyed with infatuation, and she walked forward from the crowd of kids, all of whom were watching with wonder and shock.

The girl stood at least ten feet away from James and Sirius, her eyes blazing, and she said, "Leave him alone. He doesn't have to be expecting anything in order to end up in a good House. Gryffindor isn't the only good House in Hogwarts, so leave him alone and let him be himself, or you don't have the right to call yourself Hogwarts students."

Before either boy could respond, a familiar figure appeared, McGonogall. She walked over and said curtly, "That's enough of that." The three students split up, though the girl continued to glare at the boys before looking up at McGonogall, who looked down at the students. "Welcome," McGonogall said formally. "I am Professor McGonogall, your Transfigurations teacher. In a moment, you will be led into the Great Hall, where you will be divided into one of four Houses. These Houses will be your homes for the next seven years. You will eat, sleep and take classes with the students of your year. They will be your family, so prepare yourselves. These four Houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin."

There were smiles from almost every student as McGonogall named the Houses, particularly those who knew what House they wanted to be in. McGonogall then turned around and led the students into the Great Hall.

Riley blinked in surprise when she saw Dumbledore standing in his usual spot, speaking to the students of Hogwarts. After several minutes, Dumbledore stopped speaking and sat down, giving McGonogall his nod of approval to continue. At last, McGonogall faced the first years and unrolled her scroll, and so began the Sorting process.

"Sirius Black."

There were several murmurs of expectation and excitement as Sirius walked forward, a smile on his face. Riley realized that it must be because the Blacks were such a prestigious Clan, and that it was very well-known that Sirius was a Pureblood, and would be expected to join Slytherin as everyone in his family had.

Sirius sat down and the Sorting Hat took several moments of silence. Riley knew that the hat must have had a hard time deciding where to put Sirius. After a while, the hat suddenly yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

There were many, a great deal in fact, of voices and murmurs of shock, though the Gryffindor table erupted in applause and cheers as Sirius happily ran over to them, excited and beaming with pride.

There were several more kids sorted before McGonogall said aloud, "Lily Evans."

Riley watched with interest as a girl with reddish-brown hair walked forward. This was Harry's mom. Riley watched as the girl walked forward and sat down on the stool. It was only a few seconds before the Hat yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Several more people were named, none of whom Riley knew. After a dozen kids were sorted, McGonogall said aloud, "Remus Lupin."

A moment later, the eleven-year-old Lupin walked from the crowd, still looking nervous as he walked up and sat down on the chair. It was only a few moments before the hat yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

When the cheers died down, McGonogall said aloud, "Helen Mask."

The girl from before, the girl who had yelled at James and Sirius, walked forward. This confirmed Riley's suspicions and she watched as the eleven-year-old version of her mother walked forward. She sat down on the stool and waited patiently as McGonogall raised the hat above her head, setting it down.

Riley noticed that a boy with a Prefect's badge, and blonde hair and blue eyes, was eying Helen with interest, and Riley had a sinking feeling grow in her stomach as she recognized who it was. She also saw that Dumbledore, who was sitting in his normal position, had inched forward, looking down at interest. She wondered if Dumbledore knew the truth about Helen, about their heritage, even then. Surely, to see the descendant of Ravenclaw and Slytherin back in Hogwarts, it must have been as overwhelming as interesting.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Then the change suddenly changed again, and Riley saw a face that made her heart lift. It was a girl walking down the Hogwarts hallway, her brown hair flowing from her head and behind her. She was wearing a Slytherin robe that was unbuttoned, flowing back as she walked, wearing her vest and dress, along with high heels. She didn't have a backpack, was walking with her hands held out to her side, and had a very knowing, confident look in her green eyes. Riley watched, in what appeared to be slow motion, as the girl walked down the hallway. She passed boys and girls from all four Houses, the boys stopping and turning to watch the woman, captivated. Riley realized with a start who it was, and felt both comforted and longing as she watched the woman walk with a commanding heir about her.

"Mom," Riley managed to whisper, the first time she spoke during all of the memories.

Sure enough, it was Helen O'Malley, or Helen Mask at the time. It was the thirteen-year-old version of Riley's mother. She was the spitting image of Riley, and after all of the memories, Riley realized just how much the women of her family had looked like one another. She was beautiful, just as Riley remembered her from one of Dumbledore's memories that she'd watched two years ago. But this was beyond anything Riley had imagined, a very commanding, powerful look about the woman, one that seemed to demand the attention, respect and awe of everyone around her.

Riley saw a boy standing further down the hallway, one that she recognized immediately by his striking good looks and blonde hair, which looked almost exactly like his son's. Those piercing blue eyes... The blonde hair... The look of intense interest as his gaze followed Helen...

It was Lucius Malfoy!

There was a look of heat and lust in his eyes, only for a girl standing near him to hit him on the arm, which grabbed his attention and made him smile at her. Riley didn't recognize the woman, but she didn't have any time to think about it, as the scene changed almost immediately.

Riley suddenly saw Helen again, only this time she was with a boy who must have been fifteen or sixteen. He was wearing a black shirt and jacket, Helen wearing a white tanktop, green jacket and blue jeans. She was leaning back against the wall, him leaned in close to her as they kissed intensely. As Riley looked closely, she felt a wave of surprise and amusement. For a moment, she could have sworn that it wasn't Helen standing there, but Riley. It was clear that as Helen had grown up, she looked very much like Riley did now. And that boy who was kissing her... He looked like Harry, almost exactly like Harry... Riley felt like cringing at the math, adding two and two together.

The boy pulled his lips away and opened his eyes, smiling at Helen with teasing eyes, though Riley could feel affection flood from him. He moved one of his hands from her waist to the wall behind her, his hand set right beside her head. His face was mere inches from hers, Helen smiling and her eyes twinkling as she looked back at him.

"That wasn't half bad," the boy teased quietly, sounding impressed.

"You either," Helen said with a smile, her eyes narrowed teasingly. She moved her hands up to his chest and let them rest there. Riley could feel surprise and pleasure rush from the boy, and amusement from Helen as she continued to say, "You've definitely improved over the last few months, James."

Riley smiled, amused at the accuracy of her suspicions. This was James Potter, back in the days where Harry's dad had dated.

James chuckled and leaned his forehead against Helen's, but stayed there as he said quietly, "You're gonna regret saying that."

Helen chuckled and said darkly, in a come-and-get-me voice, "Make me."

James let out a sigh and said t, "You're a wonder, Helen."

As James pulled his head back slightly, Helen looked up at James and smiled, her eyes filled with curiosity. "What do you mean?"

James shrugged and said, "You're not like any of the Slytherins. You're different."

Helen grabbed a hold of James's jacket and pulled him closer, her eyes glinting with amusement as she said through gritted teeth, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should," James said, his forehead once again pressed against hers. "After all, I wouldn't be doing this with just any Slytherin, now would I?" With that, he leaned over and began kissing Helen again, pulling her close and holding her tightly as they resumed.

All of a sudden, the scene changed and the emotions changed from passion to anger, spite and disbelief, along with desperation and fear. Riley watched as Helen stormed into one of the corridors, wearing her uniform and robe, and James ran after her, looking panicked.

"Helen, stop, please!" James exclaimed.

"Leave me alone, James!" Helen snapped.

"Not until you talk to me!" James exclaimed as he grabbed Helen by the arm, only for her to spin around and yank her arm away, glaring at him.

"Don't grab me!" Helen barked angrily, her eyes blazing furiously.

"_Talk_ to me," James insisted.

"What do you want me to say?" Helen snapped angrily, and Riley felt as though she'd been hit by a wave from the ocean without having expected it, the hostility overwhelming. Helen's eyes blazed and she said, "You and those idiots Black and O'Malley keep ignoring me and my opinions and attack the kids in my House without remorse or second thought. You find it _funny_, in spite of how I feel about it, and in spite of how it makes you guys look.

"It's not Slytherin in general," James began to explain, "it's just –"

"'Just Snape'," Helen sneered, clearly not any more pleased. "Save it, all right? I've heard it from you, James, over and over again, and it doesn't make what you do okay. I've told you repeatedly how I feel about it, and yet you continue to do it, just because it makes you amused. You get more attention than any boy in this school, and yet you _still_ feel bored enough to make fun of Snape like he's your toy."

"Helen," James began.

"Don't try to change my mind," Helen snapped angrily. "You're fifteen and my boyfriend, James, not a two-year-old. So grow up and act like it, or so help me, you'll be looking for a new girlfriend soon." With that, she spun around on her heel and stormed away.

The scene suddenly changed again, and this time, Helen was standing at the rail of the hallway again, one hand on the rail while she looked out over the Hogwarts grounds. A moment later, Riley heard laughing, and she turned her head to see James and a woman that Riley didn't recognize, until she saw those eyes, those eyes that she'd seen so many times. Then it dawned on Riley: this was Lily Potter, or Lily Evans at the time.

Lily and James were walking alongside each other, laughing together. James was holding Lily's hand, and Riley realized that this must be their sixth year, when Lily and James began dating. They stopped, and stared right at Helen. Riley looked back and forth between them, an awkward look on James's face. Helen just stared.

James nodded to her, smiled in a friendly way, and then walked off with Lily, still holding her by the hand. Riley watched as they go, only to nearly jump when a voice said blandly, "You're not happy about them being together, either, I take it?"

Riley turned her head and saw Stephen O'Malley, her dad, walking over. He walked up right next to Helen, a somber look on his face.

"No, not really," Helen admitted, not bothering to argue. All emotion was gone from her face and voice, and she continued to say, "I mean, I knew that James wasn't going to hang on forever. I saw it beginning to happen with them after we broke up, and after you and Lily broke up."

"Yeah," Stephen muttered. He looked at Helen and said, "You okay?"

"No," Helen admitted dryly. "But in time, I will be."

Stephen stared at Helen for a moment before asking out of the blue, "You wanna hang out tonight?" Helen looked at Stephen, and he shook his head as he said, "Not a date, just talk. Like in the library or something."

Helen stared at Stephen uncertainly, and then said in a bland voice, "Thanks, Stephen, but I don't think so. I don't think I'm ready for that."

Stephen didn't look hurt at all. He blinked and said in an understanding voice, "I understand, Helen. There's no need to explain. If you ever want to hang out, just let me know."

"I will," Helen promised. "Maybe someday, Stephen, just now."

Stephen nodded and backed away, saying politely, "It's good to talk to you, Helen." With that, he walked off, leaving her alone in silence.

All of a sudden, the scene changed, and they were in Hogsmeade. Helen was walking along the road with two Slytherin girls and a Slytherin boy, when a voice called out her name. Riley saw Stephen running over, a smile on his face. Helen looked back at her Slytherin friends and said good-bye to them before walking over toward Stephen. The Slytherins were clearly displeased, but said nothing as they walked off without their friend.

Helen walked up to Stephen and, with a smile of disbelief, said, "You're insane, you know that, right? You know what my friends are going to think now?"

Stephen shrugged and admitted, "I really haven't thought much about what people think in years."

"Clearly," Helen teased. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be caught being seeing with a Slytherin, even if it meant death."

Stephen nodded and said with a smile, "Exactly. You wanna hang out now? It's been five months since I first asked you."

"That's because we had a two-month since," Helen

"Will you hang out with me?" Stephen pushed. "After all, we're not in the middle of break now, are we?"

Helen raised an eyebrow and asked with a restrained smile, "You pulled me away to ask me to hang out?"

"Yeah," Stephen said, shrugging.

"Why me?" Helen asked, confused.

Stephen smiled, his eyes sincere as he said, "Let's just say that I've seen a whole new side of you in the last five months, from your letters and the way you've moved on from your break up."

"Is that good or bad?" Helen asked, a smile on her face.

"Good, definitely good," Stephen said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Helen shifted on her feet, then smiled and said, "Sure, why not?"

"Really?" Stephen asked in surprise.

Helen walked past Stephen, a glint in her eyes as she said, "Come on, Whitefang, let's see if you really meet the hype." Stephen's eyes widened in alarm, and he watched as Helen walked down an alley

"How did you know about that nickname?"

Helen laughed and said teasingly, "The same way I get away with everything I get away with." She suddenly jumped out into the air and turned into a different shape. Her body turned into a white tiger's, and she landed on the ground, turning her head to stare at Stephen with a teasing glint in her eyes.

Stephen laughed and shook his head in disbelief, "You've got to be kidding me."

The tiger let out a low growl, her eyes teasing, and she took off. Stephen laughed and leapt forward, suddenly turning into a white wolf. He raced off after Helen, chasing her toward the woods.

The wolf and tiger ran in between trees, chasing after one another. Both were incredibly swift and able to move on their feet as quickly as humans. They swerved in between trees, the wolf chasing the tiger. Finally, the wolf leapt at the tiger and knocked her over. As they collided, they transformed, turning back into Helen and Stephen.

Both were laughing as they got to their feet. Helen leaned back against a tree and smiled, leaning her head back against it as she let out a sigh. "You're fast," she said, catching her breath. "Got a lot of stamina."

"Thanks," Stephen said with a smile as he walked over, catching his breath. He set a hand against the trunk of the tree, standing beside her and looking at her from the side. "You're not so bad yourself."

Helen laughed and said, "Yeah, well, I haven't done anything like that in a while." She smiled at Stephen and said, "I'm glad you asked me to do this."

Stephen laughed and said, "Well, believe me, I didn't expect this either." He smiled at Helen and said, "But I'm glad we did it, too."

Helen faced Stephen, her eyes serious, and yet filled with amusement, as she asked, "Why did you ask me to come here?"

Stephen hesitated, and then said, "Because five months ago, I felt a connection to you. We lost the people we loved, and we had a moment where we connected. I haven't been able to get that day out of my mind, and we've spoken a lot more since, gotten to know each other somewhat. We're no longer arguing or trying to kill one another. I would even like to say that you've grown to be my friend."

Helen smiled and said, "I agree, but I wasn't willing to admit it."

Stephen shrugged and said, "I'd just like to get to know you better, to see if what I'm feeling right now really is what I think it is."

"And what's that?" Helen asked, though it was clear that she knew what the answer was going to be.

Stephen smiled slightly and said, "I think I like you, Helen Mask. I didn't think it was possible, because I hated you for so long, but I can't think of any other explanation."

Helen smiled and leaned upward. She kissed Stephen lightly on the lips, his eyes filled with surprise as she did. She then pulled her lips away and smiled, saying, "Good instincts." With that, she walked away, not in a hurry, just walking. Stephen hesitated, and then followed after her, not saying another word.

The scene suddenly changed, and Riley found herself watching Stephen and Helen standing together up in the Astronomy tower, looking out at the lowering sunset. Helen had her head leaned back against Stephen's chest, his arms wrapped around her waist and her fingers entwined in his. She could feel overwhelming feelings of love and happiness emit from them, and she felt happy, seeing her parents truly together for the first time.

"I didn't think I would ever feel like this," Helen whispered, closing her eyes. "This is more incredible than anything I've ever felt before."

Stephen leaned over and whispered in her ear, "If you close your eyes, you'll miss the sunset."

"No I won't," Helen said quietly in return. "It's in my mind permanently, and I want to remember this moment exactly as it is."

Stephen hesitated, and then smiled as he asked, "Is it working?"

Helen smiled, not moving for a moment. Then she opened her eyes and turned around, facing Stephen. She reached up with her hands and held onto him by the neck, pulling him close as she kissed him. He kissed her back, holding onto her by her waist. When their lips finally separated, they closed their eyes and leaned their foreheads against one another, both frowning.

"We leave tomorrow," Stephen whispered. "And when we do, we'll never come back."

"I know," Helen whispered, and Riley felt regret emit off of her. "I don't want this to end."

"Wanna stay up here tonight?" Stephen asked. "Just the two of us?"

"I'd like that," Helen said sadly. "I don't want this day to end."

Stephen reached up with his right hand and cupped Helen's face, running his thumb against her cheek. She looked up at him through sad eyes, and he smiled lovingly at her. "Don't worry," he said gently. "We'll find a way to be together, even from a hundred miles apart."

"How?" Helen asked, clearly afraid and worried.

Stephen shrugged and said, "I don't know, but we will." When he saw Helen look at him disbelievingly, he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead back against hers. Her eyes closed at his touch, and he set both hands on her neck, running his thumbs against her neck. "I'm not letting you go that easily, Helen Mask. I won't lose you."

All of a sudden, the scene changed again, but this time, Helen and Stephen were in a hospital. Looking at them, Riley realized that they must have been five years older, at least. Helen was lying on a bed, screaming and crying, her head covered in sweat and the bed covered in blood. There were three healers around her, Stephen right next to her and holding onto her hand.

"It's a girl!" the healer said brightly, holding up a blood-covered baby that Riley could only guess was herself at her birth.

"A girl?" Stephen asked brightly, walking over to look at baby Riley. He walked back over to stand beside Helen and smiled lovingly down at her, excitement and love filling his eyes. "It's a girl, Helen! It's a girl!"

Helen let out a shaky laugh as she cried, turning to bury her face in his chest. He held onto her, wrapping his arms around her. "Zack will be happy to hear that," she laughed shakily.

Stephen laughed and said in disbelief, "Trust you to think of Zack at a moment like this."

"It's going to be okay," she said in a shaky sigh. "We're _all_ going to be okay, including Riley."

The scene suddenly changed, and Riley saw that Helen and Stephen were walking into a house, a large house. As they walked through the front door, Riley saw that Helen was holding baby Riley, who was covered in a pink blanket. Riley heard a little boy's voice, and turned her head to see a boy with black hair running across the room. He couldn't have been older than five or so, and looked excited.

"Is she here? Is she here?" the boy exclaimed happily.

"Yes, Zack," Stephen said with an amused smile. "We have Riley here."

Helen knelt down and held baby Riley out so that Zack could see her. Zack stared, wide-eyed with awe, and said, "She's _u-ugly_!"

"_Zack!_" a horrified female voice said.

"She's beautiful," a new, male voice said in amusement.

Riley looked up and saw with surprise that James and Lily were walking over, Lily starting to show signs of being pregnant. Lily walked up and hugged Stephen, kissing him on the cheek in a friendly manner. James walked up and hugged Helen.

"Congratulations," James said with a smile.

The scene suddenly changed again, and this time they were in a living room. It was dark, Helen was sitting on a couch with her feet pulled up beneath her, and she was holding a baby in her arms, a blanket wrapped around her as baby Riley slept. Stephen walked over and sat down on the couch, setting an arm behind Helen, who was smiling at the baby and fire that burned in the fireplace.

"Lily and James gone already?" Helen asked, looking up from baby Riley.

Stephen nodded and said, "Yeah, they're on their way home. They're going to tell Remus and Sirius for me. They said to expect visitors before long."

"And Wormtail?"

Stephen shrugged and said, "I guess, but he hasn't shown up much recently." He smiled and said, "Guess what, Helen?"

"What?" Helen asked with a smile as she looked at her husband.

"We're home at last," Stephen said warmly to Helen.

"I know," Helen said with a smile that she couldn't get rid of.

Stephen leaned over and kissed Helen, and Riley felt an overwhelming surge of love run through her body.

As Helen and Stephen pulled their lips away, Helen smiled and said, "I'm glad to see that we've all stayed close over the years, especially after everything that's happened between us and the Potters."

Stephen let out a sigh, frowning as he said, "It hasn't been easy, on any of us, I know. I know that it took forever for you and James to get back on good terms. I was hurt when they got together," he admitted, reaching over and brushing Helen's hair out of her face. "But being with you made me grateful that things ended in the way that they did."

Helen smiled and said, "I agree."

Then, like she'd been dropped from a hundred feet onto a cement ground, Riley felt herself being flung back into her seat. Her head shot up, her body numb from all of the emotions, and she almost fell forward onto the desk. She panted as she sat up straight, looking down at the book. The pages were blank, but they were filled with magic, with memories. It was like a book form of a Penseive.

Riley hesitated, not knowing exactly what she was supposed to do. The pages had flown across, like she'd been reading the book, and rested on a page halfway through the book. She hesitated, not knowing if what she was doing was correct, and she set her hand down on the page in front of her, closing her eyes.

All of a sudden, Riley felt her head shoot back again, power surging through her body and out of her hand, into the book. She saw flashbacks, images and scenes of things that she recognized and remembered, her own memories. As they poured from her mind and out through her hand, Riley felt all of the emotions and thoughts that she'd experienced in the memories flood from her, and without knowing it, her entire body began to glow, the rays stretching farther and farther from her as memory upon memory poured right from her body and into the book, her entire life pouring into the book.


	14. Chapter 14: Shakes

A/N: Like I said before, I am sooooo sorry about not getting this story updated earlier. I'm going to be a lot better about it from now on, so pleeeeease review and let me know how this story is going. I haven't had as many reviews as in my past fanfics, but I can't expect a lot when it's been so long in between updates. I am so sorry, but please R&R. I hope you enjoy, even though it's kinda short. I'll update tomorrow if I get the chance.

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Chapter Fourteen: Shakes

Riley could feel her hands trembling. Her entire body shook profusely as she stared ahead, her eyes wide with shock. She was on her knees, in front of the chair that she'd been sitting in. Her diary was lying on the ground, out in front of her. That feeling... that feeling of absolutely every memory and feeling she'd ever gone through running back through her body... feeling that power suck those memories and emotions being yanked right out of her body... It was incredible, beyond imagining.

Riley could barely think. In fact, she couldn't think. She could barely breathe. Gripping tightly at her arms, Riley closed her eyes. She leaned her head over, struggling to breathe as she felt as though her entire body was being ripped out of her skin.

"Riley? Riley!"

Riley suddenly felt a pair of hands grab her by the shoulders. She couldn't recognize the voice, could barely hear it. All she felt was her arms shaking. She could barely breathe, felt as though her mind was going to explode... Riley suddenly felt herself begin to lean back, someone forcing her down to the ground and back against the chair that she'd been sitting in. After blinking a few times, Riley recognized Draco Malfoy right in front of her, staring at her through confused and disbelieving eyes.

"Draco," Riley rapsed, struggling to gain some strength in her voice. "What..." She struggled to find some strength to speak. "What are you doing?"

"I was just going to ask you the same thing," Draco said through narrowed and disapproving eyes. "I was just standing up in the boy's dorm and I hearde a loud banging sound. I come down here and find you on the ground."

"I'm fine," Riley said quietly, but firmly.

"Right," Draco said sarcastically. "You may hate me, but I'm not dumb."

Riley shrugged and said, "That's true."

There was an awkward silence for a moment before Draco said, "Do you need help getting to the girl's dorm?"

"No," Riley said quickly, only to shake her head and say, "I'll go up there in a little while."

Draco narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Riley, only for her to struggle to look back into his eyes. Looking into them, she couldn't help but feel the same nervousness that had been there since the day he'd beaten her, tortured her. She couldn't help but feel this emotions, in spite of the voice in her head yelling her to just get up and get away.

Draco hesitated, only to turn his head, his eyes falling upon the open diary. He blinked in surprise and asked as he leaned over to grab it, "What's that?"

"It's nothing," Riley said, quickly scrambling to her knees and reaching across to grab the diary. As she turned her head to face Draco, she swallowed hard, her eyes wide in alarm when she found her face barely an inch away from his, Draco having continued to reach for the diary. She could feel her heart race uncontrollably, with fear and uncertainty.

"Riley-" Draco began.

"Don't say anything," Riley whispered, unable to look away from his eyes.

"Why?" Draco asked, sounding confused.

"Because everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie," Riley whispered, her eyes shaking.

"That's not true," Draco said shaking his head.

"Isn't it?" Riley asked, cursing herself for how helpless and weak she sounded right now.

Draco lowered his head, only to turn it away and say in a grunt, "Fine." With that, he stood up and took a few steps away, only to stop and turn back to look at her. "Get to sleep," he grunted. "Snape won't be happy if you show up to class half asleep."

"Right," Riley said quietly, her eyes still glued to Draco.

Draco nodded to her and walked off toward the boy's dorm. Once he was gone, Riley closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair, longing for some sort of comfort, some sort of solace. She held the diary close to her chest and lowered her head to it, touching her chin to it and letting out a deep sigh. Soon... Soon she would be with Fred again, and could have some semblence of rest.


	15. Chapter 15: Slughorn's New Favorite

Chapter Fifteen: Slughorn's New Favorite

"...and if you make sure that you keep your ingredients separate, then it will ensure that you don t accidentally mix any unfriendly ingredients." Slughorn looked around and said in a somewhat humorish voice, "After all, we don't want to find ourselves spread out between the potions room and Professor Snape's Defense Against the Dark Arts room, now do we?"

A few kids in the class, primarily the giggly girls like Romilda and Lavender, laughed at this, though the entire class seemed to realize how stupid it was. Aria rolled her eyes as she listened to Slughorn go on and on. _We've known this stuff since our first year,_ she thought miserably. _Just let us out of here, or at least teach us something useful, for crying out loud!_

An owl that a Hufflepuff student had given Slughorn as a present hooted, as it always did when class was finished. Slughorn turned his head toward the white owl that bore a striking resemblance to Hedwig. He gave a wide grin and said, "Well then, if class is over, you d better all scurry off before your next teachers have my head."

The students began to get to their feet, Aria not bothering to move. She watched as Riley got to her feet and turned to look down at her, a smile on her face. "Meet you in the library later?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aria raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked, "You mean you'll have time for me in between classes and Quidditch practice?"

"Will today," Riley said with a grin, playfully hitting Aria in the leg. "I just need to pick up some stuff, some books and stuff, and then I'll be in the library working on my homework."

"Then I ll see you then," Aria laughed, playfully kicking Riley in the shins as she walked away with Harry.

Once everyone was gone, Aria closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her long black hair. She let out a sigh as she pictured George, her bed, and a big bowl of ramen (Not all together!) She slowly began to get to her feet, grabbing her backpack to shove her textbook into.

"Aria, m'girl," Slughorn's pleasant and cheesy voice said as the old walrus walked over.

Aria rolled her eyes, but bit her tongue as she looked up, forcing a smile to her face. "Yes, Professor?"

Slughorn smiled proudly down at Aria and said, "I just wanted to let you know that I think you're doing magnificent in this class, absolutely magnificent."

"Thank you, Professor," Aria said, unable to deny the fact that she felt slightly proud at being praised.

Slughorn walked closer and said, "You know, I've been watching you closely, and I think that you could bare a very real chance of making it into the Department of Ministry. I would like to help support you in whatever way I possibly can."

_Sure you would,_ Aria thought sarcastically. _So that you can have me say one day that you made me so famous._

Slughorn held his stubby hands behind his back and asked, "So, I would like to offer you full access to my supplies cabinets and literature resources, textbooks and everything."

That caught Aria s attention. "Really?" she asked, looking at Slughorn in surprise. "You're going to let me have full access to your books, notes and supplies?"

"That s right," Slughorn said proudly. "Just leave me a note saying what supplies you ve taken for your testing, what books you've borrowed and whatnot, and you may use anything here at no charge."

Aria stared at Slughorn in disbelief, completely dumbfounded. "That's very generous, Professor."

Slughorn drew a little closer and said, "You have a talent, Miss Hardwick, one that should be explored. Our young friend Harry Potter has it, too." (Aria swallowed hard, trying not to make it obvious that she knew Harry wasn t a Potions genius at all) Slughorn sighed and said, "But unfortunately, Harry's interest doesn't lie in the field of Potions. _You_, however, have a _real _passion for this subject, and I believe that passion deserves a little push."

Aria smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, Professor, a lot."

Slughorn smiled proudly and said, "You know, your parents were very good at Potions, too."

Aria s smile instantly disappeared, and she felt an ache rise inside of her as she pictured her parents. She could imagine their faces just as clearly as when she'd seen them when she was three. She'd always had a very clear picture of her parents in her head, never had a problem remembering their faces. Her memory for numbers outside of potions was horrible, and there was a lot of stuff in Transfigurations and Charms that she couldn t remember, but when it came to her photographic memory, she was exceptional, especially when it came to her parents.

Slughorn frowned and said, "I see that I touched a nerve."

Aria shook her head and said quickly, "No, it's not a bad thing that you brought them up. I'm just not used to talking to people about my parents, especially people who knew them."

"Well, your parents were definitely worth remembering," Slughorn said, standing up proudly. "In fact, your father was one of the best potioneers I ve ever met. I was so hoping that he would go to work for the Ministry, but sadly he and your mother went off and took to their own business, though I must admit that I never found out what exactly they went off to do." He looked genuinely puzzled.

Aria frowned seriously, her mind buzzing. She knew that her parents had left Hogwarts to immediately join the Order of the Phoenix. They'd been die-hard loyalists who had hated Voldemort almost as passionately as the Potters, who had been his biggest opposers along with Sirius and Lupin. Still, since the Order wasn't a big and public organization, of course Slughorn wouldn t know where they'd really gone.

Aria nodded and said, "Unfortunately, they were killed by Voldemort's follower because they wouldn t follow him."

"Don t use that name!" Slughorn suddenly barked fiercely. He shook his head and said angrily, "You youngsters use that name so loosely, not respecting the danger and death it has brought."

Aria narrowed her eyes and said defensively, "I'm more than aware of what he did, and I'm not afraid of him for that."

"Well you should be!" Slughorn snapped, glowering at Aria.

"Why?" Aria argued, standing up and facing Slughorn, though she stood as tall as he did. Her eyes blazed as she said, "The stuff I'm learning in school right now, that the classes at Hogwarts teaches me, is helping me to become stronger, so that I can help take him down. I don't know what you think this school is for, but I m going to get stronger, so strong that I can help tear the Death Eaters down to their knees."

"You're very ambitious," Slughorn said, though there was no pride in his voice. "A very ambitious young girl."

"Every skill that I've gained is to help tear down the bastards that have destroyed my life and the lives of my friends," Aria said determinedly. "I'd like your help, if you're willing to give it." She narowed her eyes and said seriously, "But if all you're going to do is cower at his very name, then there's nothing that I have to learn from you."

Slughorn let out a sigh and lowered his head submissively. "I don't have the strength or will to fight him, and I can't help you do that." Aria blinked calmly, ready to walk away as Slughorn raised his head to look Aria in the eye as he said weakly, "I'm not young and powerful anymore, Aria. I know a lot, but that's all I have: knowledge. I can see how your friend Riley has rubbed of on you." Aria turned her head to look away, her anger growing inside of her. Slughorn continued to say, "She has given you her courage and determination, the same type that I saw within her parents and their friends. You youngsters have so much more energy and dare within you, the kind that I saw when I was young, the kind that I saw in your parents and the Potters." He shook his head and said, "Take what you need. I cannot help you, but may heaven give you what you need."

Aria blinked calmly and smiled as she said, "Thank you, Professor." With that, she turned around and walked out of the room, a slightly stronger sense of satisfaction burning within her, as well as determination.


	16. Chapter 16: Nothing To Worry About

Chapter Sixteen: Nothing To Worry About

"...at which time you are to block the spell without ever needing to hear what they are saying."

Harry ran a hand through his hair as he let out a sigh, struggling to remember everything Snape said as he scribbled down notes on his parchment. He was grateful for Hermione's expedient handwriting and excellant memory. That, and Riley's notes were always incredibly valuable. For Transfigurations and Defense Against the Dark Arts, no one's opinions and observations had more credence with Harry than Riley's. After all, she was at the top of the class for both subjects.

Harry looked across the room and blinked in surprise when his eyes fell on Riley. She was leaning on her right hand, her elbow rested on the desk. She was slowly drawing within a book of blank paper. Harry couldn't help but wonder what she was drawing, and why she seemed so distracted. He had never known her to tune out any class, even if Snape was the teacher. In fact, she usually paid more attention than anyone in Snape's Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It was almost scary at certain times.

A fist suddenly slammed onto Harry's desk, causing him to look up in surprise, only to silently groan when he recognized Snape glowering down at him in obvious dislike. "Potter," he sneered in his drawl. "Have you suddenly become so talented that you no longer feel the need to pay attention to my class? Does being the Chosen One make you better than the rest of your classmates who actually chose to pay attention?"

Harry rolled his eyes, aware of the snickering that came from a good portion of the Slytherins, particularly Malfoy. He looked up at Snape and said quietly, "No, Professor."

"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape sneered. "If I catch you ignoring my class again, that'll be a detention, Potter."

Harry blinked calmly up at Snape, though he was silently cursing to himself as he said politely, "Yes, Professor."

As Snape walked away, Harry saw that Riley hadn't bothered to stop her doodling or even look up during the interuption. He felt something hit his arm and turned his head to see Hermione and Ron looking at him in confusion, Hermione scolding him as she whispered, "Pay attention."

Harry found it almost impossible to pay attention through the rest of class, Riley's odd behavior weighing heavily on his mind. Even as the bell rang and Harry began to collect his materials into his backpack, his attention was on Riley. Aria ducked out of class before everyone else was finished, her mind clearly somewhere else. Riley slowly gathered her stuff, clearly not in any hurry. As Harry followed Ron and Hermione out of the room, Harry barely heard Hermione go on about the incident with Snape, his attention was on looking for Riley.

"...and you must have known that you would get caught, so why would you put the House at risk of losing more points?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "You have to remember who you are, Harry. Snape will do anything in order to take his dislike for you against you, but you can't let it affect Gryffindor."

"Right," Harry muttered absent-mindedly, looking around.

"Hermione! Ron! Harry!"

Harry turned around and blinked in surprise when he saw Riley walking over, her right hand rested on her backpack strap and a preoccupied look on her face. She walked right up to them, her eyes glazed over with exhaustion. Harry couldn't help but feel worry and disbelief at how tired she looked, and that no one else seemed to notice.

"Hey, Riley," Hermione said in a surprised voice as Riley walked up.

"Hey there," Riley said in an exhausted voice.

"Noticed you were tuning Snape out, too," Ron pointed out.

Riley nodded and said, "Yeah, kinda tired. Lots of homework, you know?"

Harry saw Hermione and Ron nod, and then Hermione asked, "Did you want something?"

"Yeah," Riley answered, nodding. "I kinda zoned out there at the end of the lesson. What was the homework assignment?"

"Three rolls of parchment on how to recognize at least five different offensive silent spells and how to deflect them with silent spells," Hermione said so casually that Harry couldn't help but wonder if part of her was made up of computer, primarily the brain part.

"Even _I _remembered that one," Ron said, sounding somewhat surprised.

Riley nodded and said, "Thanks. That shouldn't be a problem. They're fairly simple to identify, once you've been in combat with enough of them."

"My thoughts exactly," Hermione said, nodding to Riley with approval and agreement.

"You two wouldn't mind going over your answers with me, would you?" Ron asked, pretending to play it cool. "You know, just to make sure that the three of us got similar answers."

"Nice try, Ron," Hermione said with a grin. "I'm going to let you do this assignment on your own. Snape has gone over the differences of a dozen different spells in class before. This should be a breeze."

"But you know I can't remember any of that mumbo jumbo in class," Ron argued.

"Take notes and you don't have to," Hermione pointed out.

"Look, I've got to go," Riley said, beginning to back away. "But thanks for the update."

"Yeah, no problem," Hermione said, waving to Riley before turning back to Ron and saying, "Honestly, Ron, if you would only take some notes in class -"

"I'll catch up with you guys later," Harry said, nodding to Ron and Hermione. "I'm gonna catch up with Riley for a minute before heading to practice."

"Sure," Hermione said, nodding.

"No problem," Hermione said, sounding slightly surprised.

"See ya then," Ron said, shrugging carelessly.

The two walked off, continuing their conversation about class and homework. Harry began talking after Riley, who was walking further down the hallway with a book in her hand, adjusting her backpack strap on her shoulder.

"Riley," Harry said, quickly grabbing Riley by the upper arm. Riley stopped and turned to face Harry. He blinked in surprise when he saw her eyes, bloodshot and half-closed. "What's going on?" Harry asked, confused.

"What do you mean?" Riley asked, sounding confused.

"You look awful," Harry said, looking Riley up and down in disbelief.

Riley blinked in surprise and said sarcastically, "Thanks. Your flattery is overwhelming. Did you stop me from going to Potions class just so you can criticize my looks?"

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "What I mean is that you don't look like you've slept in weeks."

Riley shrugged and said carlessly, "Haven't been sleeping a lot in the last few days. Like I said before, a lot of homework."

Harry frowned, not totally buying her excuse. He'd seen her after simultaneous nights of no sleep, but this was different. It was like her entire body was drained of anything that could have been possibly misconscrewed as energy.

"Right," Harry said sarcastically, voicing his doubts.

Riley shrugged and said, "I've got a ton of classes and no time to do my homework in, Harry. I have to stay up late each night to work on my classwork, not to mention participate in Quidditch practices to prepare for our first match."

"You'd better perform well on the day of the match if you're working yourself this hard," Harry said, though he didn't really care about the match when Riley looked like this.

Riley smiled weakly and said, "oh, don't worry about me. Slytherin will give Gryffindor a run for their money this year. I'm going to make sure of that."

"Sure," Harry said uncertainly. "Riley, are you sure you're okay? I mean, you don't look so well. Maybe you should see Madame Pomfrey or something."

Riley shook her head and waved dismissively at Harry. "You worry too much," she said, though Harry could tell that she was lying. She smiled at Harry with her weak eyes. "I"ll be fine, really. There's nothing to worry about." She began to back up and said, "I'll see you later, but I really need to get to class." With that, she turned and ran off down the hallway without saying another word.

Harry stood still, watching Riley as she ran off. His eyes narrowed to slits. Something was wrong, and something needed to be done about it. But what was Riley doing that was draining so much energy out of her? Harry turned around and stopped abruptly when he saw Aria standing a few feet away from him, a serious look on her face as she looked right at Harry.

"Aria," Harry said, not bothering to hide the surprise in his voice. "I thought you'd ran off to your other class."

"I was going to," Aria admitted in an equally serious tone. "Until I heard you from down the hallway, talking to Riley." She nodded in the direction that Riley had disappeared. "You think something's up, too?"

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding. "I don't know what's going on, but she's not acting like herself. Zoning out in class, not paying any attention to Snape's lessons, lying about why she's so tired..."

"Something's definitely up," Aria agreed. "I'll try talking to her, but I think the best person to find information out from would probably be Fred."

"You think I should write him?" Harry asked, surprised that he hadn't thought of that.

Aria shrugged and said, "It's an idea."

Harry nodded and said, "I'll do that. I mean, if he can't get information out of her, who can?"

"My thoughts exactly," Aria said, nodding. "I'll talk to her and see what information I can get. Let me know what happens with talking to Fred." With that, she walked past Harry and in the direction that Riley had disappeared into.

Once he was alone, Harry ran up to the Gryffindor tower, grateful that he had a free period to take care of what he needed to take care of. He ran over to his trunk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quil. He quickly wrote down a note, which red:

_Fred,_  
_I know that it's probably random to recieve a letter from me, but there's something that I need to tell you concerning Riley. I don't think she's in danger or anything, but something doesn't seem right with her. She's really pale - well, more than normal anyway - and she seems really drained of energy. She isn't paying attention in class and can't seem to concentrate, and won't tell me what's going on. Aria's going to try to find out what's going on, but I wanted to let you know and see what you could do to find out anything if at all. After all, she opens up to you and trusts you._  
_Anyway, good luck with Riley and please let me know if you find out anything._  
_~Harry_

Harry signed his name at the bottom, only to roll up the parchment and run up to the tower where all of the owls waited patiently, including Hedwig. Harry ran a hand over Hedwig's soft head, only to say calmly, "Make sure that this gets to Fred, Hedwig. It's important." Hedwig let out a soft coo and waited patiently as Harry tied the message to her leg. She then took off out of the window, flying into the distance and leaving Harry to his own thoughts.

_I hope we find out what's going on,_ Harry thought. _Riley's been through enough. I just don't want her to get into any more trouble._


	17. Chapter 17: The Unusual Request

Chapter Seventeen: The Unusual Request

Aria walked through the corridors toward Slughorn's office. She needed to pick up some books for her experiments, as well as some ingredients, and then she was going to go look for Riley to figure out what was going on.

Aria walked into Slughorn's room and began looking around, curious as to where Slughorn was. She was surprised to see him in the far corner, looking through the cabinets of scales and textbooks. "Looking for something, Professor?" she asked in surprise.

Slughorn jumped and turned around in alarm, only to laugh as he said, "Aria, m'girl, you startled me."

"So I see," Aria said with a smile as she drew closer. "Though I must admit, that wasn't my intention."

"Of course not, of course not," Slughorn said, turning around and closing the cabinet doors. "No, m'girl, just taking inventory and making sure that all of my supplies is here." He looked over at Aria and asked, "Come for some more ingredients?"

"Yes, sir," Aria said, nodding. "Just some stuff for my experiments."

"Very good," Slughorn said, nodding in obvious approval. "Very good, indeed. Yes, go ahead and grab whatever you need. There are a few textbooks that you won't be able to have access to this time, though."

"Really?" Aria asked in surprise. "Which ones?"

"_Dark Potions of Midevil Europe_ and _Romanian Potions For Healing_," Slughorn recited, folding his hands behind his back.

"Oh darn," Aria said in disapointment. "I was looking forward to reading _Romanian Potions For Healing_. Why can't I borrow it?"

"Oh, another student has requested them for a few days," Slughorn said casually, nodding in approval.

"Really?" Aria asked, fully surprised. "Who?"

"Your friend, Miss O'Malley," Slughorn said casually.

Aria blinked in surprise and alarm before she asked uncertainly, "_Riley _borrowed those books?"

"And some supplies," Slughorn said, nodding. "She went through all the proper channels, though, quite a thorough job of it, too. Yes, she came to me yesterday and requested for some books and supplies."

"Did she happen to say what she wanted them for?" Aria asked suspiciously.

"No, she didn't say," Slughorn admitted. "I assume, though, that it was purely academical. After all, Riley is a very studious girl, isn't she?"

"Very," Aria said suspiciously. "How long ago did she take the stuff?"

"About half an hour ago," Slughorn said carelessly. "I believe she was planning to go to the library to ask for some more books."

"The library?" Aria asked with interest. She turned around and began to walk away.

"Wait," Slughorn said in confusion. Aria stopped and looked back at him, only to see him look at her through narrowed and confused eyes as he asked, "Aren't you going to get your supplies?"

"Later, Professor," Aria said, her eyes narrowed. "There's something that I need to do first, though."

Aria walked out of the classroom and down toward the library. As she walked in through the doors, she blinked in surprise as she saw Riley standing at the front desk, recieving two rather large books from Madam Pince.

Riley turned around and began walking toward Aria, only to stop when she saw her walking toward her. She began to put the two books into her already full backpack, and asked aloud, "Aria?" She looked around nervously and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Aria said as she began to walk toward Riley, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"It's the library," Riley said, shrugging. "I come here all of the time. You would know that better than anyone."

"I would think I know a lot about you more than anyone," Aria said as she drew closer. "I also know that you don't borrow supplies from Slughorn that often, and definitely not books on Dark Potions."

Riley frowned seriously and said, "It's academical, Aria."

"Then you wouldn't mind letting me read it first, would you?" Aria asked, holding a hand out to Riley.

Riley looked down at Aria's hand, and then back up at her with narrowed eyes as she said, "Yeah, I do mind. I need the book for a few days. After that, you can be my guest and take it."

"Riley, what's going on?" Aria asked, her eyes narrowed as she lowered her hand.

"What do you mean?" Riley asked, playing innocent and confused.

"You know exactly what I mean," Aria said in a stern voice. "Falling asleep in class because you don't have the energy to stay awake, skipping meals, spending all of your free time in the library or who knows where? You don't pay attention in class, which is unusual enough, not to mention the fact that you're refusing to let me in on whatever it is that you're doing, which doesn't exactly inspire much confidence."

Riley narrowed her eyes at Aria and said seriously, "You've been talking to Harry, haven't you?"

"It doesn't matter," Aria said, her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, it does," Riley said, anger growing in her voice. "Butt out of my business, Aria. What I do with my time is my business, not yours."

"It becomes my business when my best friend is hurting," Aria pointed out firmly.

"I'm fine!" Riley said sternly, narrowing her eyes at Aria. "I'm doing some extracurricular Potions, that's all."

"If memory serves me correctly," Aria began in a low voice, "the last time that you did 'extracurricular Potions', you ended up with that Mark on your arm." She glared at Riley's right arm.

Riley stood up straight and said in a low voice, "I don't regret that decision for a moment. And for your information, I'm not doing anything dangerous. I'm just mixing some Potions on my own time."

"Then you wouldn't mind if I joined you for one of your experiments," "Can't," Riley said abruptly. "I do all of my sessions in my common room after hours. It's the only time when I have any time to work."

Aria narrowed her eyes up at Riley and asked, "Do you have any notes on them?"

"I'm not lending them to you, if that's what you're hinting at," Riley said sternly.

Aria shook her head and said in disbelief, "When you get this defensive, it usually means that you have something to hide. And judging by the fact that one of the books you checked out from Slughorn has to do with Dark Potions, I'm guessing that it's not good."

"If you talked to Slughorn for very long, you'd know that I also picked up a healing Potions book," Riley pointed out. "And yet you jump to the conclusion that I'm doing Dark magic."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Aria pointed out.

Riley shrugged and said, "No, it wouldn't be." She began to walk past Aria and said, "I'm not doing Dark magic, but if you don't want to believe me, fine."

Riley began to walk away, only for Aria to turn around and say seriously, "I do want to trust you. More than anything, I don't want to believe that you're messing with the Dark magics again."

Riley stopped and looked behind her at Aria, her eyes narrowed and cold as she said, "Then act like it and trust me."

Aria hesitated, and then said, "Fine, I will. But, Riley, you can't keep pulling all-nighters if they're going to leave you this drained."

"I'm doing fine," Riley said, shifting her weight. "Don't worry about me."

"Not up to you," Aria pointed out. "I'll always worry about you."

Riley narrowed her eyes and said, "Don't." With that, she turned around and walked off, not bothering to say another word.

Aria watched Riley leave, a concerned and confused look on her face. _Riley_, she thought desperately, _What's going on? What's so serious and important that you can't tell me?_


	18. Chapter 18: Potions In the Shadows

Chapter Eighteen: Potions In The Shadows

Riley laid in bed, waiting anxiously as she listened to each girl in the dorm snoor and sleep soundly. Her fingers tapped against the blankets covering her body, waiting for the right moment. She always waited until exactly one hour after the final girl had fallen asleep.

The moment came.

Riley slowly and silently pulled herself up, swinging her feet over the edge of her bed and revealing her fully-dressed body. She silently grabbed her cloak and pulled it on, and then picked up her backpack and swung the strap over her shoulder, letting it rest on her shoulder. She then reached out with a hand toward Sunny, who was perched on her nightstand beside her bed, obviously waiting expectantly, too. Sunny leapt onto Riley's arm without making a sound, and with that, Riley began to walk out of the room.

Riley ran silently down the stairs from the dorm toward the common room. As she reached the common room that glowed green, she raced out through the doorway and behind the painting and into the hallway. She began to walk down the corridor, only to stop when she reached a stone wall, the same stone wall that she stopped at every night. She closed her eyes and focused on the stone wall. A moment later, the bricks began to move, and after several moments, there was a doorway open for Riley. She smiled as she walked in through the doorway, the arch closing in behind her as she and Sunny entered.

Riley looked around the moonlit room proudly, lowering her arm to her side after Sunny flew from it, landing on a coatstand that Sunny had been recently using as a perch. Riley pulled her backpack off and walked across the dark and empty room to the only table there, a long table with two dozen vials on top of it, a cauldron and all of the supplies that she'd been gathering over time. She set her backpack on the table and opened it up, pulling out the four thick textbooks that she'd borrowed from the library and Slughorn. There were also several vials within the bag, and several loose ingrediants that she'd picked up from Slughorn's inventory closet.

Riley let out a sigh as she imagined her conversation with Harry and Aria. They were too close to knowing the truth, that she was slipping out each night to work on Potions. She didn't want them knowing what she was working on, but she could understand how everything she was doing could be misinterpreted. After all, Aria had more than enough reasons to suspect Riley of being involved in Dark magics. But Harry... Riley closed her eyes and thought miserably, He knows me way too well, can read me like the morning sun. Sometimes, that's as annoying as it is disturbing and comforting.

Riley pulled all of the ingredients out of the bag and set them on the table one at a time. Once they were all separated, she pulled out her wand and set it on the table. She then pulled her hood on over her head and looked down at the table of ingredients, suddenly thinking, Aria was right. This is like when I recieved my mark, the first time I tampered with Dark magics.

* * *

"Potion that separates day from night," Riley said aloud as she did this. She raised the next vial, small with a green liquid in it. She threw it in a said aloud, "Drink the day and leave the night to fight."

"Riley?" a voice said. Aria entered the room and screamed aloud, "_Riley, no!_" She took a step forward, but was stopped by an invisible barrier.

"_Ambitio!_" Riley yelled, raising her wand. "_Ater Corvus Corax dzimis!_"

"_Riley, no!_"

Riley stuck her wand against her forearm with incredible force. She let out a gasp as the black and red potion suddenly shoved itself right into her skin. She thrust her head back and screamed loudly as the potion sunk right through her skin and began to work its way through it, burning the skin and almost pulsating. It was nothing like she had ever felt, horrifying, painful, esxhilarating, an incredible high, but so excruciatingly painful that she feared she would explode in every direction. It was like every part of her being was being reformed, turning her into something new entirely.

Riley couldn't even scream as her eyes widened in shock. Something was rising from her arm, a tattoo, a brand that as so unnatural it couldn't be safe. It was a raven, its wings spread out, its red eyes glaring right at Riley. She stared right into those red eyes, and she felt power run through her body, power unlike anything she'd ever known.

Then it was gone, the raven and the power.

Riley fell forward, her wand falling from her hand and hitting th floor. The forcefield dropped and Riley fell to her hands and knees, panting for air. Her vision was blurry, her entire body longing for that power, that uncontrollable and undeniable power that had rushed through her body and made her want to scream in joy, as well as agony."Riley!" Aria yelled in panic, running up to Riley and grabbing onto her by the shoulders. "Riley, waht did you do?"

Riley, who was looking up with malicious eyes, said in a sickly dark tone that voiced her lust for that power, "It's done." She raised her arm and revealed the black and red raven on her forearml. She let out a dark laugh and said, "I did it."

* * *

Riley stared into the cauldron, which now had several different potion ingredients in it, bubbling. She waved her hand over the cauldron, the bubbles growing stronger as she did_. Interesting to think how far we've come, _Riley thought dryly. _Aria is the strongest Potioneer in the entire school, and I'm relying on potions to accomplish what I want. Now, now it's time to finish what I started, what **she **started._

"Hoot! Hoot!"

Riley turned her head and blinked in surprise when she saw that Sunny was sitting with an envelope in her mouth, something that hadn't been there more than a few moments before. She walked over to her owl and picked the envelope up, looking at it in surprise. Sure enough, it was adressed to her, and Riley couldn't help but feel amazed when she saw that it was from Fred. She and Fred hadn't written to each other in over a week, something that she knew she needed to do, but hadn't gotten around to.

Riley absentmindedly opened the letter up and muttered, "How did this get here?"

Riley skimmed her eyes over the letter, only for her eyes to widen in alarm and fury as she read what was written. She suddenly threw the letter to the ground and turned around to storm out, grabbing her wand as she did.

* * *

Harry suddenly felt something hit him in the head, waking him up with a start. He let out a yell of alarm as he was snapped from a good dream about flying over London on his Firebolt, to a seering pain in his head. He looked around, blinking several times as he attempted to wake up. He could feel a dictionary or some similar book lying on his stomach, probably what had been thrown at his head.

"What on earth..." Harry muttered, rubbing his head. "Who -" His eyes widened in alarm when he saw Riley standing at the end of his bed, her wand in her hand, as well as a second (and very thick) book. "Riley?" he muttered, more confused than ever.

"You wrote to Fred?!" Riley yelled angrily, throwing the second book at Harry and hitting him in the head again, knocking him backward. "That's not okay, Harry!"

Harry groaned in pain as a splintering headache grew in his head. He picked up the second book and threw it to the ground, moaning, "What are you talking about?"

"What's going on?" several boys muttered as they began to wake up. There were several gasps when the boys recognized Riley standing in their room, not appearing to mind the fact that she was disrupting their sleep.

"You wrote to my boyfriend and told him that you thought I was messing with Dark stuff, that I am in danger!" Riley said angrily.

Harry blinked at her as though she was mad and asked, "And you decided to confront me about this in the boy's dorm at two in the morning?" He groaned and muttered, "We _really _need to change that password."

"I just got a letter from Fred," Riley snapped. "He's concerned, scared that I'm getting involved in Dark magics because you and Aria went and mouthed off about something that you know absolutely nothing about!"

Harry rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands and stood up, climbing out of bed. He walked toward Riley and grunted, "Let's talk about this in the Common Room, away from sleeping people."

Riley didn't say anything, just followed Harry away. Once they were in the Common Room, Riley asked furiously, "Mind explaining what is going on?"

"You're right," Harry admitted, facing Riley. "I did write Fred. You were scaring me and I didn't know what else to do."

"You couldn't have had a little faith in me?" Riley asked defensively.

"I do have faith in you, Riley," Harry admitted. "More than anyone in my life. I also know you well enough to know that when you start hiding things from me, there's something serious giong on."

"But 'serious' doesn't mean 'dangerous'," Riley pointed out. "Just because there are some things in my life that I don't want you to know, it doesn't mean that I'm messing with Dark magics."

"Like what?" Harry pointed out. "You've never hidden anything from me before."

Riley rolled her eyes and said, "I've been experimenting with different potions at night, just like Aria does."

Harry blinked several times in confusion and asked, "You've been experimenting with _potions_?"

"That's right," Riley said in a "duh" voice. "No Dark magic, just potions. Yet none of you could accept the idea that I might be doing

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Harry asked, confused.

"Because I didn't want you to know until I'd finished," Riley pointed out.

"Why is it taking so much energy out of you, though?" Harry retorted.

"Because the specific potions I'm working on require so much human energy to be transferred to the potion in order for it to work," Riley pointed out. "But I knew that if you all knew that I was using my own energy for potions, you'd immediately jump to the wrong conclusion."

"So, what kind of potions are you working on?" Harry asked, still confused. "What kinds of potions could you possibly need to transfer your own human energy into?"

"Healing potions," Riley said, folding her arms.

Harry stared at her for a moment and asked, "_Healing _potions?"

"That's right," Riley said, nodding. "With the big war that's obviously coming up, I figured that it might be nice if we had some super strength healing potions on our side. Otherwise, we get hit with one of the Death Eater's spells and we're done."

Harry hesitated, and then muttered, "Oh."

"Feeling stupid right now?" Riley asked daringly.

Harry frowned, and admitted, "Kind of, but I still don't understand why you wouldn't tell me about something like this. It's not a bad thing, you know."

"No, I know that," Riley admitted. "But I din't want people to get their hopes up, only to have them crushed when I fail. I mean, it's not like I'm the best potioneer in the world, and the notes that I'm working off of are over twenty years old."

"What?" Harry asked in surprise and confusion.

Riley nodded and said, "These notes are ones that my mom wrote when she was a student, ones that Professor Slughorn dug up a few weeks ago and gave to me. That's why he's been helping me out by giving me whatever stuff I need."

"Oh," Harry said quietly again. He then said, "I promise to lay off if you'll promise me to tell me when you do something big like this again."

Riley rolled her eyes, only to mutter, "Fine."

"And one other thing," Harry said, suddenly thinking of something. "Please don't do any more of your potions until after the holidays."

"Why?" Riley asked suspiciously.

Harry smiled and said with a grin, "Because I want you to be at the top of your game when we play you in Quidditch next week."

Riley laughed for the first time since showing up and said with a smile, "Deal."


	19. Chapter 19: First Match

Chapter Nineteen: First Match

Riley closed her eyes as she pulled her robes on over her head, blocking out all sounds around her, even as Adrien, Jess and Pansy got dressed, too. She pulled the shirt down to her waist, adjusting them. She then pulled her robes on, adjusting her pants and making sure that they were just right. On her back, in gleaming black letters, was her last name and her House's crest. She set her hands against the locker, clenching her fists, and set her forehand against it, concentrating hard.  
Today was the day.

"Nearly time," said Harry blithely, looking upat the rings on the Quidditch field from a distance.  
The frosty grass crunched underfoot as they strode toward the stadium.  
"Pretty lucky the weather's this good, eh?" Harry asked ROn.  
"Yeah," said Ron, who was pale and sick looking.  
Ginny and Aria were already wearing their Quidditch robes and waiting in the changing room.  
"Conditions are ideal," said Ginny, ignoring Ron.  
"Today ought to be interesting," Harry said as he pulled on his scarlet robes.  
"That's one way to describe it," Ginny said disgruntedly, looking down at the floor.  
The group began to walk out onto the field, and Harry saw Riley walking out, leading a V-shaped group. Malfoy was on her right, the second-year girl with blonde hair pulled back on her left, a girl with brown hair on the second year's left, and a boy with grey hair on that girl's left. To Malfoy's right was Pansy Parkinson, and to her right was a boy with brown hair, lean and his eyes narrowed.  
Harry and Riley walked right up to one another, Madame Hooch standing to the side of them, a whistle in her hand. "Captains, shake hands," she said.  
Harry and Riley reached out to shake one another's, looking serious into each other's eyes.  
"Good luck, Harry," Riley said in a firm voice.  
"Good luck to you, too," Harry said, nodding curtly in return.  
The players then mounted onto their brooms, and once they were ready, Madame Hooch said, "On the whistle... three... two... one..."  
The whistle sounded, and everyone suddenly kicked off the ground, shooting up int the air. Riley almost instantly peeled off to the side, and her Chasers, the three girls, zoomed out in various directions. Malfoy flew up higher than the others, looking down to inspect the area for the Snitch, and the Keeper, the grey-haired kid, flew back to guard the rings.  
"And they're off!" Luna's voice said from over the sound system, but barely anyone on the field heard her. Harry concentrated on the players while scanning the area for the Snitch.  
"Aria Hardwick catches the Quaffle and races down the field to pass it off to Ginny Weasley, who makes an excellent duck and dodges Pansy Parkinson's attempt to steal it. Oh! Here comes a Bludger and, barely missed!"  
Chad, the other Slytherin Beater, had hit one of the Bludgers and sent it flying at Ginny, only for her to rise just in time to block it, but it caused Ginny to lose her concentration long enough for Adrien to come by and steal the Quaffle when Ginny had attempted to throw it back to Aria.  
"And now Adrien Bistus has the Quaffle! She races down the field at incredible speeds. Whoa, this girl can fly!"  
Harry saw Katie, Ginny and Aria all fly toward Adrien, trying to catch up on her, but it was too late. Adrien flew up right underneath Ron and threw the Quaffle upward, right into one of the rings.  
"Ten points for Slytherin!" Luna yelled out.  
Harry suddenly caught sight of the Snitch and flew after it, his attention all of a sudden gone from the surrounding game. he flew down the field, zigging as it zagged. He could hear a sound in the near distance, growing closer each second. He knew it was Malfoy, coming up to steal the Snitch away from him.  
Harry barely dodged as a Bludger came down toward his head, almost knocking him off of his broom. His feet bounced along the ground, only for him to use it as a way of shoving all of his weight back into the air and onto his broom (though it was an uncomfortable landing). He zipped through the air and then upward, trying to get ground on Malfoy, who had continued to chase the Snitch up into the air.  
Harry came upward, only to see Malfoy stop, looking around in confusion. As Harry flew up beside him, he saw that the Sonitch had disappeared, and silently cursed the Bludger that had caused him to lose concentration. Harry turned his head and was alarmed when he saw that in a few minutes he and Malfoy had been chasing the Snitch, a lot had happened. Slytherin had gained another thirty points, while Gryffindor was still struggling with zero points.  
"Bistus flies down the field, passing the Quaffle to Jess Lange, who pulls a tricky move and flies backward to drop the Quaffle to Parkinson, who then throws it toward the goal. Is it - Is it -? Oh, it's in! Fifteen points for Slytherin! Come on, Gryffindor, you're better than they are! Except for maybe Riley, though, because she can really -"  
"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE UNBIASED, LOVEGOOD!"  
"Sorry, Professor McGonogall, I'm just saying -"  
"GET BACK TO COMMENTATING, LOVEGOOD!"  
Harry watched as Ginny stole the next Quaffle that came flying toward Ron, and zoomed across the field. The score was fifty-five to zero. Could Gryffindor possibly catch up at this point?  
Almost as Harry thought it, Ginny zoomed up past Seth, the Slytherin Keeper, and threw the Quaffle into one of the rings, causing a loud "ding!" to pass through the air.  
"Yes!" Harry yelled happily.  
The next fifteen minutes went on like this, goal after goal made. Harry kept continuous look-out for the Sitch, fling around slowly and keeping an eye on the air and field, but he couldn't find it. It was as though it had disappeared completely, making for one of the longest games Harry had ever than involved in. Still, it made for an intresting game. Slytherin was playing exceptionally well, far better than normal. Right now, they were up to 105 to 65.  
Ginny zoomed across the field, the Quaffle tucked underneath her arm as she flew. Adrien was right on her flank, Jess not far behind her. All three girls had been flying the entire game, barely stopping even a moment to rest. Aria was coming up right on Jess's tail, her eyes narrowed as she prepared to accept the Quaffle. Then Ginny made a daring move and suddenly began flying straight down. Thrown off completely, it gave Ginny the change she needed to pass the Quaffle up to Aria, who was ready and Adrien caught the Quaffle and took off before Ginny and Aria, who had instinctively turned toward him.  
Adrien caught the Quaffle and took off before Ginny and Aria could really get an edge on her. She passed the Quaffle to Pansy, who suddenly eylled, "Riley!"  
Pansy threw the Quaffle across the field toward Riley, who had her bat waiting, and then hit it, sending it flying toward Ron, who barely had enough time to move before almost being beheaded. The Quaffle went straight through the ring.  
"And Slytherin scores again!" Luna yelled out. "The score is now 120 to 65. Come on, Gryffindor! Time's almost up!"  
Harry knew that Luna was right. They only had a few minutes left before the game would be called. He had to find that Snitch, and hope for a miracle.  
Malfoy flew up near Pansy and Chad, who were floating right next to one another, and he said seriously to them, "Get Potter out of this game. I don't want him finding that Snitch. I don't care how you do it, just do it."  
"But Riley said -" Chad began to argue.  
"Just do it," MAlfoy said, glaring at Chad. "Don't argue with me."  
"Draco!" Riley yelled as she flew over them. "Get back in the bloody game and find that ruddy Snitch before Harry!"  
"Right, Draco," Pansy said, nodding to Draco in understanding before suddenly taking off.  
Pansy tore down the field, accepting the Quaffle from Adrien. She went fling up toward the rings, but seein gHarry up in the air, suddenly took a straight shot up i the air and threw the Quaffle as hard as she could at his head, knocking him off his broom. He almost fell of completely, but somehow managed to grab a hold of his broom with one hand. The crowd booed and cheered and laughed.  
"Oooh! A cheap shot by Pansy Parksinson!" Luna yelled in disbelief. "Harry's going to feel that one, aren't you, Harry? Uh oh! Doesn't look like Riley's happy with Pasy. This can't be good."  
"Pansy!" Riley yelled as she flew over, flying about fifteen fet away and glaring at Pansy through blazing eyes. "What the hell was that? You had a clear shot!"  
Pansy ignored Riley, only took off after the Quaffle, which Adrien had been lucky enough to regain after it bounced off of Harry's head. Adrien through it over toward Jess, only for Ginny Weasley to sshoot up and grab it, flying straight up in the air. She flew toward the rings, getting ready to throw. She finally releaswed the Quaffle, watching it fly through the air. Before it could reach the rings, Chad from Slytherin shot up and hit the Quaffle with his bat, once again sending it at Harry. This time, it hit the handle of his Firebolt and sent him spiraling and knocking him off of it, only this time completely.  
"Chad!" Riley yelled even more angrily, rage burning inside of her unlike any she'd ever felt for this game.  
Harry felt himself falling through the air, faster and faster with each milli-second that went by. Expectingto hit the ground at any second, Harry felt a rush - literally - of relief and nausea as someone grabbed him by the stomach and began flying upward. Harry reached out for something, anything, and found the back of a broom. He managed to get a hold on the broom, pulling himself up and finding himself sitting right behind Aria.  
"Hold on, Harry," Aria said seriously, her eyes narrowed as she leaned forward on her broom. "I'll get you back to your broom in a second."  
"Fun game," Harry said sarcastically.  
"Bloody fantastic," Aria grunted in agreement. "Here we are."  
They were right above Harry's floating broom. Harry jumped from Aria's broom and found himself landing - rather painfully - on his own broom. He took off instantly, wanting to get as far away from the murderous Slytherins as possible. Harry turned and saw that Ginny was no in possession of the Quaffle. She flew up, only to pass it back to Demelza, who took it and flew over to throw it to Aria, who accepted it and then threw it as hard as possible into the ring. There was a loud dinging sound, signaling that it had made it in.  
"And five points for Gryffindor!" Luna cried out happily.  
Harry began to focus harder than ever. He had to find that Snitch, he had to. Then he saw it, zooming across the air in zig-zags. Harry swerved with it, not bothering to pay attention as Malfoy began flying up behind him.  
Harry could see the Snitch as he grew closer and closer to it. He reached out a hand, his fingers pried and ready to catch it as soon as he came near it. He was drawing closer... closer.  
"Five points for Slytherin!"  
I have to reach it! I have to!  
"Five points for Gryffindor! But wait! Harry seems to be on the trail of the Snitch! Will he grab it in time?"  
Suddenly taking a leap, Harry jumped off of his broom, grabbing a hold of the SNitch and rolling over across the ground. He heard the crowd suddenly leap to their feet and begin cheering wildly.  
"And Gryffindor wins!" Luna cheered. "130 to 125! Go, Harry!"  
Harry looked up and saw the players starting to come down from the skies, all of the Gryffindors looking relieved and ecstatic. He began to pull himself up to his feet and smiled as his teammates ran all around him, laughing and patting him on the back.  
"Way to go, Harry!" Ron exclaimed, slamming his palm against Harry's back, almost painfully. "Perfect save!"  
"You're awesome, Harry!" Demelza laughed.  
Aria smiled as she walked over, a proud expression on her face. "You did great, Harry," she said, nodding supportively to him as she walked up beside him.  
"You, too," Harry said with a smile as he looked at Aria gratefully. "If it weren't for you, I'd be in pieces on the ground."  
Before Aria could say anything, Harry heard someone eyll out his name. He turned his head and frowned when he saw Riley walking over, a serious and dark look on her face. He stepped out away from his friends, Aria walking behind him, but staying a little ways away. The others didn't bother to follow, clearly unsure about Riley by the look on her face.  
Riley walked up and stopped when she reached Harry, reaching a hand out toward him. He accepted it and shook it, though he could see that she wasn't pleased at all, though he had a feeling that it wasn't directed at him.  
"Congratulations," Riley said, her voice curt and ice-cold, surprising Harry. "you made a really nice save at the end."  
"It was a cose game," Harry said, trying to hide his confusion and surprise. "You did really well out there. You're a heck of a Captain to put together a team that can play that well. I haven't seen Slytherin do that well in years."  
"Maybe so," Riley said, her eyes blazing. "But it seems that Ron and Aria were right."  
Harry didn't understand what she meant, but Riley continued to say, "I'm sorry about those cheap shots that Chad and Pansy made."  
Harry shook his head and said dismissively, "I've been through a lot worse."  
Riley's eyes were blazing, and Harry knew that shew as furious, in spite of her dry tone. She nodded to him and stormed off, her players already leaving the field.  
Aria walked up beside Harry, and he asked, "What did she mean when she said that you and Ron were right after all?"  
"About Malfoy," Aria said with a frown, her eyes narrowing. "It was Malfoy who called the shots back there, to attack you."  
"Big surprise," Harry muttered sarcastically.  
"It's more than that, Harry," Aria said, frowning even more. "Riley knew that her players would act out in defiance of her authority in some way or another, remember? I don't think she's going to just let this one slide, not when they acted out this badly."  
Harry blinked in surprise, and looked back at the doorway where he saw Riley disappear. Aria was right. This wasn't the kind of thing that Riley would just let slide. Even so, what would she do? 


	20. Chapter 20: You're Gone!

Chapter Twenty: You're Gone!

The Slytherin boys began to pull of their uniforms, sighing and moaning from all of the bruises on their bodies. Chad was puling of his shirt when he turned his head and said, "Don't look now, Draco, but your girlfriend's here."  
Just after he spoke, the locker room door flung open, and Riley stormed in, her eyes blazing as she glared right at Draco. "What the hellw as that out there?" she yelled.  
Adrien, Kalyn, Alicia and Pansy all walked in behind Riley, all looking around seriously, though Pansy looked uncertain, just as Chad did.  
"Now look who's ignoring the locker room separation," Draco said, his eyes narrowed at Riley. He'd already pulled off his shirt and was throwing it into his locker.  
"I warned you, Draco," Riley said angrily, ignoring him completely. Her eyes seemed to be on fire, narrowing and filled with pure dislike. "I warned you at the try-outs. I warned you that if you didn't follow my orders, you would be standing in the stands and watching with the others. What part of that didn't click in your tiny little brain?"  
Draco rolled his eyes and said, "Come off it, Riley. I made one call -"  
"That wasn't yours to make!" Riley barked, causing Draco's head to snap back toward her in alarm. Riley glared over at Chad and Pansy and said, "You two are just as bad. I told the both of you that you were going to be following my orders at the beginning of the year, not his! I said specifically that you wouldn't be following Draco's orders, and yet here we are!"  
"It was one call, Riley," Pansy argued.  
"And we lost by five points! Five points!" Riley snapped, surprising everyone. None of them had seen her like this before, never been intimidated by her and actually listened to her like this. Riley continued to yell, "When I say do something, you don't question it, you just do it! If I tell you to jump on this field, you only ask 'how high?' I don't want another incident liek this, or so help me, you're off the team."  
"Yes, Riley," Chad and Pansy said meekly, lowering their heads in shame.  
"Lay off them Riley," Draco said coldly, glaring at Riley in dislike.  
"Shut up, Draco!" Riley snapped, looking over at Draco and seeing his eyes widen with alarm and anger, "You crossed a line out there, one that you had no right to get within a mile of." She shook her heads and said in a low tone, "I'm not going to let you cross it again."  
Draco's eyes flashed and he asked defensively, "What's that supposed to mean?"  
"It means that you're off the team," Riley barked.  
"You can't do that, Riley!" Chad snapped.  
"Are you questioning me as your Captain?" Riley snapped, her head snapping toward Chad abruptly. Her eyes blazed as she saw him visibly flinch, and then said darkly, "Because I still have almost two dozen kids who would love to be on this team and I'm willing to pick from any of them to replace you if you bug me just a little more." She looked back at Draco and said, "Turn in your equipment. You can keep your uniform, Draco, but you're gone." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the locker room, not saying another word.  
Draco looked around once Riley was gone and asked in disbelief, "What just happened there?"  
"I think you were just sacked," Seth said, sounding astonished.  
Draco's eyes blazed with rage and he grabbed his stuff, throwing it forcefully into the locker. He closed it with a loud bang and stormed out of the locker room, clearly having a destination and goal in mind.  
As Draco left, Adrien narrowed her eyes at the others, Alicia looking around with the same dislike. "Idiots," Adrien muttered. "We could have had it."  
"Oh, shut up, Adrien!" Pansy barked. "You're not perfect, either, so just back off!"  
"Hey!" Adrien snapped, looking up at Pansy without fear. "I didn't my job out there. Get off your high horse, Pansy, and accept that RIley's the Captain, unless you want to be watching from the sidelines, too." With that, she stormed after the others, Alicia glaring at her teammates before following Adrien out of the locker room.  
Pansy hesitated until the younger girls were ogne, and then glared at Seth, who was watching silently. "you got something to say, too?" she barked defensively.  
"Nope," Seth said casually as he finished pulling his Slytherin shirt on and gathered up his green cloak. He slammed his locker shut and walked past Pansy and Chad as he said in a sigh, "You two have said enough with your actions today to satisfy the entire team."

Draco ran after Riley and yelled out, "Riley!" She continued to storm down the hallway, not responding or showing any acknowledgment that he'd said anything, and he yelled out, "Come on, talk to me! We can fix this, Riley!"  
"No, Draco," Riley said, spinning on her heel and stopping to face Draco. "I was hoping that we could, but you're so far gone with this whole superiority role that you've got going, that you can't even take orders in a stupid Quidditch game. You're poisoning my team, destroying it from underneath me out of your bitternes and resentment. You're gone. I won't let you be on the team again as long as I'm Captain."  
"And who's going to be the team's Seeker?" Draco demanded. "What do you think you're going to do without me?"  
"I will be," Riley said, her eyes narrowed at Draco.  
"What?" Draco exclaimed. "You can't be a Seeker. You're a Beater."  
"I've only been a Beater since I came to HOgwarts," Riley reminded him in a cold, unemotional voice. "I was a Seeker for three years before I came here. I allowed you to continue this year because I was hoping that the team might do somethjing for you, but apparently I was wrong." She shook her head at Draco and said in disgust, "Very wrong."  
Draco heard footsteps and turned to see Seth, Adrien, Alicia, Griff, Marcus, Kalyn and Pansy walking up behind them, only to stop about ten feet away. Riley turned around and stormed off, yelling aloud, "Adrien is the new assistant-Captain. Griff's the new Beater. Be dressed and ready to go on Thursday." With that, she stormed through the doors at the far corner.  
"Riley's going to be the new Seeker?" Kalyn asked in surprise. She narrowed her eyes at Draco and said, "You messed up big time, Draco."  
"No shit!" Draco snapped, looking back at Kalyn and the others with anrrowed eyes.

Riley stormed into the Slytherin common room and slammed both fists onto the table. Her arms shook with rage, her head lowered. She was furious, and felt as though she would be unable to bare the power of the rage. Then, suddenly unable to not, Riley swept her hands across the table, sending everything flying off of it and crashing into the floor, glass shattering all over the ground.  
"Gaaaah!" she yelled, grabbing at her head and doubling over as she screamed.  
"Well, looks like I chose the perfect time to visit."  
Riley froze, standing up straight in spite of her hands still being on her head. She spun around and smiled in disbelief at what she saw, lowering her hands to her side.  
Standing at the entrance of the Slytherin common room, dressed in a black leather jacket and white T-shirt with blue jeans and a silver chain necklace hanging around his neck, his sandy blonde hair hanging over his forehead in a very attractive way, was someone that Riley had thought she would never see again, someone that sent Riley's heart through the roof. Staring at him, all of the memories from America and Silvergates rushed back to her, along with a sense of comfort and welcomed familiarity.  
Riley burst out and said his name in disbelief and pleasure.  
"Aaron?!" 


	21. Chapter 21: A Blast From The Past

Chapter Twenty-one: A Blast From The Past

"Aaron?" Riley exclaimed. "Oh, my gosh!" She ran forward and threw her arms around Aaron's neck. "I can't believe you're here!"

"Hey, Riley," Aaron laughed, hugging Riley back.

"Waht are you doing here?" Riley laughed as she backed up, pushing her hair out of her face. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled you're here, but why?"

Aaron shrugged and said with a grin, "Word has it, Riley O'Malley got expelled and is now at Hogwarts."

Riley blushed and said, "Oh yeah, long story in that."

Aaron shook his head and said, "You don't have to explain. Charisma and I have been traveling since she finished her first year abroad. Figured she'd enjoy coming back and seeing the few friends that she had who are still here."

"That's right!" Riley said, a grin growing across her face. "I'd forgotten that you were dating Charisma!"

During their time at Hogwarts two years ago - during the TriWizard Tournament - Aaron had gone to the Yule Ball with a seventh-year from Ravenclaw, the top witch in the class named Charisma. Beautiful and incredibly smart, she'd been a perfect fit for Aaron, both of whom had wanted to travel and go to America for a year at a Muggle college before pursuing their careers in Muggle relations and correspondents.

"How's that working out with you two?" Riley asked brightly, setting her hands backward on her hips.

Aaron smiled proudly and said, "We're engaged."

"What?!" Riley exclaimed in disbelief. "You? Mr. Womanizer is getting married?"

Aaron laughed and backed up a few steps, rolling his neck as he said in embarrassment, "Yeah, you had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"Well?" Riley prompted, her hands on her hips. "You only dated about three girls evey year that I was at Silvergates."

Aaron smiled and said, "Yes, well, my womanizing days are over. I really love Charisma, she's perfect for Silvergates."

Riley smiled and said proudly, "Well, I'm happy to hear that. When's the date?"

"Next Christmas," Aaron said, nodding slightly. "All of the people from the TriWizard Tournament are invited, and that includes you and Harry."

"Well, thank you," Riley said proudly. She shifted her weight to one side and asked, "So, how long hav eyou been here?"

Aaron frowned and said, "Since just before the Quidditch match." Riley rolled her eyes and began to turn away, and he added with a stiff smile, "Yeah, I saw it."

Riley felt dread run through her and she ran her hands through her hair, groaning as she said, "Oh, gosh, that was horrible!"

"Am I to understand correctly that you called the play in which the older brown-haired girl tried to pummel Harry Potter with the Beater's bat?" Aaron asked, looking at her in disbelief. "I thought that you two were friends."

"We are, and no, I didn't," Riley said, shaking her head as she folded her arms. "Draco Malfoy - remember the blonde who everyone thought I was going to date? - was my assistant-Captain and he changed the play on me and ended up costing us five points, which made us lose the match."

"'Was'?" Aaron asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.

Riley nodded and said, "Really long story, but there I was no way that I was going to let him get away with this stunt. I had to kick him off th team."

Aaron nodded and said, "I agree. I would have been disappointed in you if you'd let him get away with it."

Riley let out a sigh and walked over to sit down on the touch. Aaron followed her as she said, "Oh, Aaron, things here are so much more screwed up than they were at Silvergates."

"Really?" Aaron asked, raising an eyebrow with interest as he sat down beside her. "That really says a lot about Hogwarts, because Silvergates was always on the strange and cruel side. I mean, we had a teacher with four arms and three eyes, which doesn't exactly invoke much confidence."

Riley let out a slight laugh and sigh, shaking her head as she turned to look at Aaron, revealing the scar on her left cheek as she said, "You can't have not noticed it, so don't pretend to."

Aaron shrugged and said, "I did, but I saw no need to bring it up. I read all about it in the Prophet."

Riley rolled her eyes and looked away as she said, "Yeah, last year, I was faced with the prospect of two guys who wanted to date me. I was in the same House as one, but I liked the second one more. Well, Draco started playuing mind games with everyone and eventually screwed things up with me and Fred, and when I turned Draco down to be with Fred, he completely freaked out, wanted nothing more than for me to feel the same pain that I'd caused him. Well, the night we went to the Department of Mysteries, Harry tried talking to his godfather, Sirius Black - don't ask - and while we were supposed to be keeping watch, we got caught. This horrible woman, Umbridge, who had taken over Hogwarts, she let Draco take me outside and deal with me in whatever way he thought he was fitting."

"I'm guessing it wans't hugs and kisses?" Aaron asked, a smile on his face.

Riley chuckled and said, "Definitely not." She frowned, her eyes shadowing over. "He bound me with ropes, hexed me, raked me to pieces, and said things that made it nearly impossible for me to face him again this year."

"That's understandable," Aaron said, shrugging as he continued to watch Riley.

Riley hsitated, her eyes still looking as though she was looking into another world, and then said, "It's not just that. My friends, they saved me from him, but I never told them just what he did to me. I never told them what he said, not even Fred. Instead, I went with them to the Department of Mysteries, where Lucius Malfoy got his hands on me. He manhandled me, put me into a position where I was without my wand and copletely defenseless. Then he scolded me for not choosing his son, for choosing a 'bloodtraitor' over a PUreblood like Draco."

"Did he know what his son had done?" Aaron asked, sounding confused.

Riley scoffed, her eyes still not focusing. "A Death EateR? I don't think he would have cared. In fact, he probably would have been _proud _of what Draco had done. But it was more than that. The look in Lucius's eyes, the look in Draco's, they were the same, just as cold and malicious. But the fact is that they both had me in positions where they could have killed me. Lucius almost did, got me on the cheek and..." She pulled her hair over her left shoulder and revealed to him the long scar across her neck. "...on my neck."

Aaron set his fingers along the scar on her neck, feeling it beneath his fingertips. She closed her eyes, swallowing hard as she felt fingers along her skin. "Bastard," he muttered under his breath as he pulled his fingers away, his eyes narrowed in obvious dislike.

Riley rolled her eyes as she set her hair back over her back. "Then Bellatrix Lestrange got her hands on me."

"The Death Eater who killed your parents?" Aaron asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah," Riley said in a voice just above a whisper. "I did something that night. Aaron... I crossed a line that I don't know if I've crossed back over yet... I used the Cruciatus Curse against her." She saw Aaron's eyes light up with surprise, and she said dryly, "She had sent the Cruciatus Curse against her." She sent the Killing Curse after me at the exat same moment, and neither of us completed the spell because it was caught in some kind of, I don't know, connection. We both wanted the other dead so badly, we weren't willing to give in. Finally, the spells repelled each other, but she found an opportunity later to use the Imperius Curseon my friend, Neville, and she had him use the Cruciatus Curse on me. She used it over and over again..." She shook her head and said, "The pain that I felt... I wanted her to feel it, and had I been a second faster in casting that spell before, she would have felt it. It was the first time that I'd ever actually cast an Unforgivable Curse. I'd known how to for years, and I was fully prepared to, but I'd never actually done it before then. I've never felt more hatred in myself than I did that night, and I don't know that I've ever really let it go."

"Riley," Aaron said, moving on the couch so that he faced her completely. "You're not evil, and you're not a Death Eater. I can guarantee you that there are people out there who have cast those curses and who have later come to regret it, good people."

"But I still want to," Riley muttered, her gaze unbending and still not faced at Aaron. "It's still there, Aaron, just waiting to be used. When Draco defied me today, my first impulse was to curse him." She looked at Aaron and asked dryly, "Why would I do that?"

"Because you were angry," Aaron said, looking Riley in the eyes. "You're one of the best people I know, Riley, and definitely one of the greatest witches I've ever encountered, but you're not evil, and you're not a Death Eater. You're nothing like them."

Riley smiled slightly at Aaron and said, "I'm glad you're back."

Aaron smiled slightly in return and said, "It seems that I came back exactly when you needed me to."

Riley let out a sigh and smiled as she said, "Ain't that the truth?"

Aaron chuckled and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, holding her close. She set her hands on his arms, closing her eyes as she sank into the comfort of having her friend there. He said quietly, "It's going to be all right, Riley. You're going to be okay."

Riley smiled and then pulled back, facing him as she asked, "How log are you and Charisma going to be here?"

Aaron shrugged. "Probably another couple of days before we head out to London to speak with the Ministry."

Riley chuckled and said sarcastically, "That'll be fun."

Aaron nodded and said, "Yep, it's like talking to a bunch of mindless, scared drones."

Riley got to her feet and said, "Hang on. I need to change, but then I'll be right back and I'll go with you to see the others." With that, she turned and began to walk away toward the girl's dorm when she heard Aaron say her name quietly. Riley turned around and looked at Aaron, who was looking up at her with a calm, serious gaze. "You'll be okay," he said, looking Riley in the eyes. "Really, you'll be okay."


	22. Chapter 22: Rumors

A/N: Sorry that it took me so long to update. It's taken me forever to get my hands on internet that I can add chapters to. I mean, I have internet on my phone, but it's not like I can attach a USB flashdrive to my phone. So, here I am again and I hope that you like the chapter. Please review, because otherwise, I have no idea if anyone is reading my story, let alone if theyl ike it. And Snowball, where have you been? You haven't been reviewing? ::tiger ears drop sadly:: I miss the funny and sarcatic reviews. lol. jk. i can't wait to get more reviews. Until then, please enjoy.

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Chapter Twenty-two: Rumors

Within twenty-four hours, news had spread about Slytherin's change in line-up. Harry himself had been amazed "I can't believe that Riley is going to be Slytherin's new Seeker," Ron said, shaking his head in disbelief.

As the group walked out of Astronomy, the one class that Harry shared with Aria and not Riley, Harry found himself listening to Ron continuing to discuss the current gossip. Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes, as Ron hadn't shut up since lunchtime when they'd first heard from Seamus and Demelza that Griff was back on the team and Riley was the new Seeker. It was bigger news than anything in months, and Harry knew that it wasn't likely to die down. In fact, everyone in the school seemed to know, and everyone was absolutely fascinated that Draco Malfoy, the poster boy for Slytherin, had been kicked off of the team by the girl that everyone had assumed would be his girlfriend, but was now a friend to Gryffindor and one of the people who had sent his father to jail. The fact was that there were very few couples in Hogwarts who had so much attention on them, everyone wondeirng what was going to happen next, what each of them was going to do. After all, with so much tension between them and their friends/families, it was considered only a matter of time before something serious had happened, and this was the result that the school had been waiting months for.

Harry looked over at Aria and asked curiously, "Riley told me that she'd been a Seeker at Silvergates. How good was she?"

Aria smiled and said, "Well, she was a heck of a lot better Seeker than Beater, I'll tell you that."

Harry swallowed hard and nervously. Riley was an excellant Beater, so for her to be better at the position of Seeker wasn't encouraging for when Slytherin and Gryffindor met up again in a few months.

Aria laughed, clearly seeing Harry's mental breakdown, and she said, "Don't worry, Harry. We have time before we face Slytherin again, so you have time to prepare yourself."

"Do you think she's better than Harry?" Ron asked in confusion.

Aria shrugged and admitted, "Never thought about it. They have different styles, so there's no real way to compare them. I mean, Riley has her super hearing thing going, but Harry's also a great flyer, even better than Riley most days."

"You're a great flyer, too," Harry pointed out, looking at Aria.

Aria laughed and said, "I can't touch Riley when it comes to speed. I have agility on her, but when Riley gets her eyes set on something, she's absolutely insane. I'm sane in that I know where my limits are, and I'm willing to stay within those limits. Riley doesn't care. If she wants something, she grabs it without considerion to her health or anything else."

Harry frowned. Sounds like me, only worse, he thought to himself, but didn't say.

Aria gently elbowed Harry, and when he looked at her, he saw her smiling at him comfortingly. "Just take it easy," she said warmly. "You don't have to worry, Harry. Malfoy's gone, so now you can just enjoy the game."

For the rest of the day, all Harry heard were comments about Riley and Malfoy, about them, about the team, about everything surrounding them.

"Did you hear that Draco Malfoy's being replaced by Riley O'Malley as Slytherin Seeker?"

"Really? But Riley's a Beater!"

"I guess she's a Seeker, too. She's scheduled to play as Seeker against Ravenclaw in their upcoming match."

"Wow! That'll be incredible to see how they do against them!"

"Apparently she blew up at him after the game against Gryffindor when he ordered the Beater and Chaser to attack Harry Potter."

"I would have yelled at them, too! I mean, it's _Harry Potter!_"

"But can you imagine Riley kicking a Malfoy off? I mean, they almost _dated _last year!"

"I think they did, didn't they?"

Harry rolled his eyes as he walked down the hallway toward the Gryffindor hallway. Everywhere he walked, it was the same gossip. Everyone, even Ron, had gotten completely involved in wondering what was going on with Slytherin's Quidditch team. It made relaxing almost impossible for Harry, especially when trying to plan Quidditch plays while not knowing how Riley performed as a Seeker. Aria's words of wisdom hadn't been of any comfort at all, only made things worse.

"Password," the Fat Lady said as Harry walked up to her painting, her voice low as she looked away in a clear lack of interest.

"Tripona," Harry said, wanting to get inside badly so that he could quickly do his homework and get to sleep relatively early tonight instead of staying up until midnight again.

The Fat Lady nodded and the painting swung open. Harry climbed through the hole and began walking through to the common room. He blinked in surprise when he saw Riley sitting on the floor, Seamus lying on his stomach on the couch behind Riley and looking over her shoulder, while Dean sat in a chair with one elbow on the armrest and his chin set on his hand while looking over her other shoulder. Aria was standing by the fire, drinking a bottle of Butterbeer, both boys also having one. Riley had a Butterbeer bottle beside her, though her hands were on several pieces of parchment, her eyes moving from them to Harry as he entered.

"Riley!" Harry said in surprise, slowing down and pulling his backpack off over his shoulders.

Riley looked up and smiled at Harry, her eyes bright in amusement as she said, "Hey, Harry. What's up?"

"Not much," Harry said, setting his backpack down on the ground and walking over. "You've been up here for a while, I take it?"

Riley shrugged and pointed toward a metal container filled with ice and bottles of Butterbeers. "Ate some stuff that Dobby brought us. Tasted really good. Have a Butterbeer if you want."

Harry smiled, rolling his eyes in laughter as he walked over and grabbed a Butterbeer. As he popped the top off of one of them, he couldn't help but marvel at how lax Gryffindor was about having Riley in the common room. She was in here about every other week, yet it never ceased to amaze Harry that the Gryffindors were so peaceful with someone from another House, especially a Slytheirn. Then again, it was common knowledge that Riley wasn't your average Slytherin. No one could deny that.

A moment later, Ron entered the room, a completely surprised look on his face when he recognized Riley. "Riley?" he asked, voicing his surprise. "What are _you _doing here?"

"Giving Seamus and Dean copies of my Defense Against the Dark Arts notes, just like I do with you and Harry," Riley said casually, shrugging carelessly.

"Will someone please explain to me why it's okay for Riley to come and go from Gryffindor's tower whenever she pleases but none of us can go to Slytherin?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Do you really want to?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow curiously at Ron. "I'm sure that Draco and Pansy would love to have you over for dinner one night, Maybe a Butterbeer while you're at it..."

Ron got a twisted look on her face, and Harry coughed on his Butterbeer in his attempt not to laugh. The idea of sharing drinks and dinner with Malfoy was enough to make him want to vomit. The idea of Ron putting him in that position was enough to make Harry want to laugh, seeing as there wasn't a person on the planet that Ron hated more than Draco Malfoy, not that Harry could blame him.

"Come off it, Ron," Seamus said, smiling up at Ron in amusement. "There's no harm in having her up here. Riley might as well be one of us, you know?"

Ron narrowed his eyes at Seamus and said, "You just say that cause you've got a crush on her."

Harry couldn't help but smile when he saw Seamus blush slightly. It was common knowledge that Seamus had liked Riley since she'd visited during the TriWizard Tournament, but he'd never pursued her, especially since she'd begun dating Fred Weasley, someone that Seamus respected and considered a friend. Harry wanted to laugh when he saw that Riley didn't look up from her notes. In fact, if she'd heard him, she hadn't made any acknowledgment of it.

Hermione and Ginny appeared a moment later, and Dean's eyes brightened when he saw Ginny, who walked over toward him and leaned over to kiss him. Harry looked away, trying not to be obvious in his dislike for their relationship, though he knew there was only so much that he could do about it. He was jealous of Dean, and there was nothing that he could do to deny it. His best option was to make it look like he wasn't instead of having to lie about it, especially to Ginny.

Hermione set her hands in her pockets as she walked over toward Harry, smiling as she asked, "So, have you found a partner for the Christmas party yet?"

"No, I haven't," Harry admitted, somewhat ashamed to admit it in front of his friends.

"You've got to go with someone, Harry," Riley said, looking up at Harry through serious eyes. "It'll look bad to the entire school if you don't, and we can't have that, especially when everyone is going on about you being the Chosen One."

Harry raised an eyebrow at Riley and asked, "Are you going?"

Riley shook her head and looked back down at her notes as she said abruptly, "Nope."

"_What?_" Hermione, Ginny and Aria asked in surprise, looking at Riley as though she was mad.

Riley looked up and asked in disbelief, "I haven't been to a single event of his this year, so why would I possibly want to go to an event designed specifically to stress us all out and make us look like his trophies?" She scoffed and looked back at her notes as she muttered, "I'd rather bury myself in detentions with Snape."

Harry blinked in surprise, amazed at Riley's disdain for Slughorn. He didn't get a chance to say anything before Hermione said, "Harry, Riley's right, in spite of her lack of interest in the dinner. You have to find someone to go with. You can't just go alone."

"I'll go with you," Aria said, raising her hand. She blinked at Harry, who looked at her in surprise, and said, "That's if you wouldn't mind dealing with me and my randomness for a night."

Harry smiled, suddenly relieved as he admitted, "No, that'd be fine. Great, even. I hadn't even thought of going with you."

"Thanks," Aria said sarcastically, though Harry saw the laughter in her eyes, showing that she wasn't really offended, as her voice suggested.

Harry noticed that Seamus was looking at Riley with uncertain eyes, and realized that he must have felt deflated. He knew that Seamus would gladly have taken Riley to the party, but he also knew that Riley was serious about not wanting to face Slughorn at one of his parties. The last thing she wanted was to be put in a position where people might find out about her relationship with the Ravenclaws, which included large functions intended to show off people for their famous and talented qualities. Also, Seamus wouldn't be happy with just taking her, especially when the interest wasn't mutual.

"So, Riley," Harry said with a smile. "How are things going with the Quidditch team?"

Riley smiled up at Harry and asked teasingly, "Is that your way of asking if I'm any good at Seeker or not?" Harry blushed in embarrassment, only for Riley to laugh and say, "We're doing good. None of the others have ever seen me as a Seeker before, so they're having a hard time adjusting, but I think we'll be good for when we play Ravenclaw next week."

"Yeah, we have Hufflepuff the day after tomorrow," Harry pointed out.

"Should be an easy game for you," Riley said supportively.

"Same for you, if you lot play like you did against us," Harry pointed out. "You know, the Quaffle in the head aside."

Riley laughed and admitted with a smile, "Yeah. I think we'll do really well."


	23. Chapter 23: A Second Chance

A/N: Got a warning for all of my readers. This chapter starts directly from where the last one left off, so if you are reading this the day after reading the last chapter and don't remember how it ends, I would suggest reading it. Also, the will be something that Malfoy brings up in this chapter, chapter twent-three, tat won't be explained until chapter thirty-one, and I refuse to explain it to ANYONE (and that includes you, SNOWBALL!) because it's the biggest part of this story, the one that I said everyone was going to hate me for, but I will explain it after the story is over.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-three: A Second Chance

And they did.

Riley laughed as she zoomed through the field, chasing after the Snitch. She could hear its wings flutter through the air, making it easy to chase after it. It was fifteen minutes into the game, and she already had a location on the Snitch. The score was already forty-five to zero, Slytherin in the lead and going strong.

It had been two weeks since Draco had been kicked off of the Slytherin Quidditch team, since their catastrophic loss to Gryffindor. Since then, the school had been in an uproar about Riley kicking Draco off of the team, but the fact was that Riley didn't care. Griff had taken over for her as Beater and was doing a fantastic job, while Riley was suddenly back in her natural position as Seeker. She smiled, closing her eyes briefly as she felt the wind in her face while she zoomed through the air. It had been three years since she'd played as Seeker (a year at Silvergates lost due to the TriWizard Tournament) but it felt so natural being on the broom and whizzing through the air at unbelievable speeds instead of chasing slowly after the Bludger.

Riley opened her eyes and focused on the Snitch, which was fluttering in front of her, whizzing from side to side as it clearly avoided capture. She followed the Snitch over Pansy, only to abruptly come down beneath Cho and a Ravenclaw Beater. She could see the Snitch, just over twenty feet, and could sense exactly where every single person on the field was. It was one of the benefits of being part wolf.

"Riley, look out!"

Riley barely needed the warning. She heard the whizzing sound of a Bludger and istinctively turned over on the broom so that she was hanging upside down, her legs and hands still attached to the broom. She heard the crowd gasp and saw the Bludger go whizzing above her where her head would have been a moment earlier. She then swung herself back up onto the broom and found that she no longer knew where the Snitch was, which bothered her more than anything.

Riley took the opportunity to look around and see where the game was at. Ravenclaw was still at zero, and it seemed that Slytherin had gotten another ten points, putting them up to fifty-five points within the first twenty minutes. Riley couldn't help but smile. It seemed that Slytherin was at the top of their game today, that Draco's dismissal had done the team some good after all.

"Riley, help us out up here!" Adrien yelled as she flew above Riley.

Riley didn't hesitate to shoot up in the air and follow Adrien across the field.

Harry watched with his eyes wide in shock and awe as Riley flew across the field, so comfortable and carefree with her flying that he could hardly believe she was human. Being a Beater, her focus had been on the Quaffle. Now, she was zooming all over the field without any care to her safety or sanity, pulling dangerous moves like turning upside down o her broom and jumping from one broom to another as though it didn't take a second thought.

"She's incredible!" Harry said in disbelief, his eyes following Riley, who was currenlty on the back of Jess's broom as the girl shot up, Riley holding the Quaffle in her hand.

"Is there anything she's not good at?" Ron asked, looking at Aria in disbelief. Aria, who was leaning against the rail on both arms, watching with an amused smile on her face, turned to look at Ron with a raised eyebrow. Ron stared at Aria in disbelief and said, "I mean, it's like she's been written out of some perfect play or something."

Aria hesitated, and then admitted, "She's really bad at making oatmeal cookies. She tends to light the stove on fire whenever she does it." (1) Ron just stared at Aria in disbelief, Aria just turning to look back at the field in amusement.

Riley jumped off of Jess's broom after having thrown the Quaffle into the rings, gaining another fifteen points and bringing them to a total of 125. There was no doubt that Slytherin's unpredictability was definitely what was going to win them the match today, as Ravenclaw couldn't even manage to get a single goal in with the random acts of Slytherin's players. Riley couldn't help but laugh as she flew right over the Slytherin crowd, who cheered loudly as she did so. She could hear the "ding" of the bell as Slytheirn scored another fifteen points. She'd specifically trained the Slytherin team to be able to perform one another's jobs, so that if for any reason they saw an opening, they could go fill it without worrying about their own positions.

Riley looked around, her eyes looking out for the Snitch. She suddenly saw it, forty feet blow her. Adrien was chasing it, going outside of her duties as a Chaser by pursuing the Golden Snitch. Still, she seemed determined and was flying as fast a her broom would possibly take her, and she was coming upon the Snitch faster and faster.

"Adrien, get it!" Riley screamed.

Adrien suddenly leapt from her broom and reached out, her fingers closing around the Snitch. She let out a scream of alarm as she went falling down through the air. Riley shot through the air on her broom, flying as fast as she could and weaving in and out, above and under players until she flew right underneath Adrien, Adrien letting out a groan as Riley grabbed onto her by the back of her uniform, only to yank her back up onto the broom. Adrien immediately grasped onto Riley with both hands, trembling from fear and adrenaline, but Riley knew that she still had the Snitch. They'd won the game.

"And Slytherin beats Ravenclaw with an incedible score of 205 to 0!" Luna yelled out loud in surprise. "I don't think Ravenclaw has ever lost by that much, much less Slytherin win by that many points. I don't think -"

"You're _insane_!" Riley laughed over her shoulder in disbelief, refraining from her natural instincts to have a heart attack in midair.

Adrien laughed and said, "Learned from the best."

Riley rolled her eyes and asked sarcastically, "Who would have known you ever listened?"

Adrien laughed again and said, "Hey, we won the match, didn't we?"

"Yea," Riley said with a smile. "We sure did." With that, she took an abrupt turn up into the sky, flying straight up and around the field, flying above everyone.

"Riley! Riley!" the crowd chanted, whooping as Riley and Adrien flew around the field, Adrien holding up the Snitch and laughing loudly and proudly.

Harry smiled in amusement and proudly as he watched Riley fly around the air with Adrien right behind her. _They did good,_ he thought. _We're going to have our hands full with them, but they did good._

* * *

"Riley! Riley! Riley!"

Riley laughed from where she stood on the top of a coffee table. She listened to the chanting of all of the Slytherins as they thrust their fists into the air, whooping and laughing loudly. Riley laughed as she reached a hand out to Adrien, pulling her up onto the table. Adrien turned to face the majority of the crowd and threw her head back, waving her hair wildly as she laughed aloud, everyone laughing with her.

Draco watched Riley from the back of the room, his hands in his pockets as he looked up at her through narrowed eyes, smiling and looking so happy for the first time in a long time. He didn't say a word or make a sound, not even to cheer along with the rest of the Slytherins. Instead, he just stood there, his eyes fixated on Riley.

"Quiet! Everyone quiet down!" Riley raised her hands and waved as she yelled. It only took a moment for everyone to quiet down to a dead silence, everyone clearly anxious to hear what Riley had to say. She smiled as she looked around the room, obviously pleased. She then opened her mouth and said loudly, "Slytherin, today we made history!"

The Slytherins suddenly began cheering, screaming and whooping again as they thrust their firsts up in the air. Riley smiled proudly and said aloud, "Never before has _any _Hogwarts team beat their opponents by over _two hundred points!_ Never before has a team been so thoroughly _crushed_ Ravenclaw is today!" The cheering only grew louder, and Riley's grin grew wider. She said even more loudly, "We keep this up and there's _nothing _anyone will be able to do stop us, not even Gryffindor! The trophy is as good as ours!"

The screaming grew to its loudest, everyone shaking their heads and cheering wildly. Riley held up her wand and twirled it in her fingers as she laughed aloud, "Slytherin! Tonight we celebrate!" She suddenly pointed her her wand toward the far corner, at a black stereo system. It suddenly turned up and began playing very popular music, everyone cheering and dancing as it began to grow louder. Riley and Adrien themselves danced from the table top, everyone cheering out their names.

"Go, Riley! Go, Adrien! Go, Riley! Go, Adrien!"

Draco sensed someone walk up beside him, not even flinching as Chad said, "Tell me this Draco. Riley O'Malley is incredibly beautiful, one of the three most talented witches in our year, and extremely powerful, yet there is no one who opposes your family more than she does." He glanced at Draco, who hadn't even acknowledged his presence, only continued to stare across the room at Riley, who was pulling Jess up onto the table as well. "How does it feel to be so close to her, and yet unable to have her?"

"Oh, trust me," Draco said, his eyes narrowed as he looked up at Riley. "I _will _have Riley for my own."

"But how when -"

"You'll understand soon enough," Draco said quietly under his breath. "There are very few people who know as much about me as you do, Chad. When the time comes, trust me, you'll understand."

Chad smirked and said under his breath, "You're the boss."

"That's right, I am," Draco said in a low voice, his eyes looking right at Riley's, so alight with laughter. _Don't worry,_ Riley, he thought. _Before long, you will be at my side, and you'll see what **real **power is. You won't have to settle for mediocrity and a conscience to hold you back like you do now, with all of those people and obnoxious irrelivancies clouding your judgement like you do now. You'll untap that power inside of you that you were meant to use, but have never been able to reach because of the walls that everyone else has set for you. After the holidays, I'm going to bring those walls crashing down and let this school and world see what you're **really **made of._

* * *

A/N: (1) No kidding, people, I have seriously done that on more than one occasion. I am nowhere near perfect, but the whole 'perfect' thing about Riley is kind of a satire at how people are always saying how I'm good at everything, when I'm really not. My ex always thought that was so great at everyting, so much better than him, but I really wasn't/am not. It's kind of annoying, but I thought I'd explain that now.


	24. Chapter 24: Slughorn's Christmas Party

Chapter Twenty-four: Christmas Party

Harry stood on the edge of the Astronomy tower, standing with his elbows rested on the rail. He narrowed his eyes to the cold wind and looked out over the Hogwarts grounds, his eyes glancing across the mounds of snow that had piled up within the last few days. Christmas was well on its way, and determined to make its presence known to everyone through the harsh and bitter cold. As normal, the only one who didn't seem to mind was Riley, who was always insane enough to go out into the cold with nothing more than her shorts and shirt on. Harry wondered if it had something to do with being a wolf animagus, but it was only a guess.

Riley was determined to spend her last few days before leaving for the Weasley house in the library, collecting data for different projects from any books that she could find. Aria was spending more time than ever in Slughorn's classroom, working on potions with the nutty professor looking over her shoulder every few minutes. Harry was aware that Aria would stay out until two or three in the morning before coming in and falling asleep in the common room in front of the fire, a book opened up on her lap. Harry had come across her in the morning on multiple occasions. Still, she never stopped proving to be the biggest genius in Slughorn's Potions class, her only rival being Harry. Even so, she didn't seem to care.

Hermione's schedule was so full that Harry could only talk to her properly in the evenings, when Ron was, in any case, so tightly wrapped around Lavender that he did not notice what Harry was doing. Hermione refused to sit in the common room while Ron was there, so Harry generally joined her in the library, which meant that their conversations were held in whispers.

"He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes," said Hermione, while the librarian, madam Pince, prowled the shelves behind them. "I really couldn't care less."

She raised her quill and dotted an i so ferociously that she punctured a hole in her parchment. Harry said nothing. He thought his voice might soon vanish from lack of us. He bent a little over Advanced Potion-Making and continued to make notes on Everlasting Elixirs, occasionally pausing to decipher the Prince's useful additions to Libatius Borage's text.

"And incidentally," said Hermione, after a few moments, "you need to be careful."

"For the last time." said Harry, speaking in a slightly hoarse whisper after three-quarters of an hour of silence, "I am not giving back this book, I've learned more from the Half-Blood Prince than SNape or Slughorn have tuaght me in -"

"I'm not talking about your stupid so-called Prince," said Hermione, giving his book a nasty look as though it had been rude to her. "I'm talking about earlier. I went into the girls' bathroom just before I came in here and there were about a dozen girls in there, including that Romilda Vane, trying to decide how to slip you a love potion. They're all hoping they're going to get you to take them to SLughorn's party, and they all seem to have bought Fred and George's love potions, which I'm afraid to say probably work -"

"Why didn't you confiscate the, then?" demanded Harry. It seemed extraordinary that Hermione's mania for upholding rules could have abandoned her at this crucial juncture."

"They didn't have the potions with them in the bathroom," said Hermione scornfully. "They were just discussing tactics. As I doubt whether even the Half-Blood Prince could dream up an antidote for a dozen different love ptoions at once -"

"It doesn't even matter," Harry said defensively. "I'm going with Aria. I thought everyone knew that."

It was true that Harry, Hermione, Riley and Aria had specifically spread the rumor that Harry was going to the party with Aria so that they could avoid something like this, forceful attempts to get Harry to go with them against his will.

"Most people do," Hermione admitted. "But everyone also knows that there's nothing romantic going on between the two of you, so girls still haven't given up hope."

"Hang on a moment," Harry said, suddenly thinking of something. "I thought Filch had banned anything bought at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

"And when has anyone ever paid attention to what Filch has banned?" asked Hermione, still concentrating on her essay.

"But I thought all the owls were being searched. So how come these girls are able to bring love npotions into school?"

"Fred and George send them disguised as perfumes and couch potions," said Hermione. "It's part of their Owl Order service."

"You know a lot about it."

Hermione gave him the kind of nasty look she had just given his copy of Advanced Potion-Making. "It was all on the back of the bottles they showed Ginny and me in the summer," she said coldly. "I don't go around putting potions in people's drink... or pretending to, either, which is just as bad..."

"Yeah, well, never mind that," said Harry quickly.

The next few hours went by slowly, Harry going through the same thing over and over. Girl after girl came up and asked Harry if they could go with him to the Christmas party, and each time Harry had to politely refuse. In total, twelve girls had asked, three from Hufflepuff, four from Rvaenclaw and five from Gryffindor. Finally, Harry found himself standing in the corridor outside of the Fat Lady painting, anxiously waiting for Aria to show up. It was time to go to the party.

"Harry."

Harry turned around and swallowed hard, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw Aria walking over. She was wearing a red dress with spaghetti straps and a skirt that came down to her ankles, though there was a slit along the right side that came up to her knee. It was a beautiful dress that outlined her perfectly formed body, showing her well-muscled (but not huge) arms. It was at times like this when Harry once again marveled at how many beautiful girls he knew: Riley, Aria, Hermione, Ginny...

Aria raised an eyebrow at Harry, an amused look on her face as she said, "Now, now, Harry, put your eyes back in their sockets."

Harry suddenly realized how stupid he must look, and shook his head, rushing to say, "I, um, no, I -"

"It's okay, Harry," Aria laughed in amusement. "I don't dress up often, so when I do, people tend to oggle. It's funny, because the looks Riley gets are even more bizzare considering that she dresses up even less often than I do."

Harry nodded and admitted, "True." With that, he and Aria began to walk down the hallway toward Slughorn's office for the party.

"Did you hear that there's supposed to be a vampire coming to this thing?" Harry asked, glancing over at Aria.

Aria smiled and said, "Yeah, and I'm looking forward to talking to him."

"You're going to try to talk to him?" Harry asked in surprise.

Aria nodded. "Are you kidding? An immortal man whose thirst can only be satisfied by blood? Of course I'm going to talk to him."

Harry shook his head in dismay and smiled as he said, "Only you..."

Aria grinned and admitted, "That's what makes me me."

"True," Harry admitted.

Whether it had been built that way, or whether he had used magic to make it so, Slughorn's office was much larger than the usual teacher's study. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room was crowded and stuffy and bathed in the red light cast by an ornate golden lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light. Loud singing accompanied by what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner; a haze of pipe smoke hung over several elderly warlocks deep in concentration, and a number of house-elves were negotiating their way squakily through the forest of knees, obscured by the heavy silver platters of food they were bearing, so that they looked like little roving tables.

"Harry, m'boy!" boomed Slughorn, almost as soon as Harry and Aria had squeezed in through the door. "Aria, m'girl! Come in, come in! There are so many people that I'd like to introduce you two to."

Harry silently scoffed, thinking, Of course you do. You just want to show us off.

Harry and Aria walked over to Slughorn, who was wearing a tasseled velvet had to match his smoking jacket. Slughorn led Harry and Aria over to a small, stout bespectacled man and said, "Harry, Aria, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of Blood Brothers: My Life Amongs the Vampires."

Harry and Aria both shook the man's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Aria said pleasantly. "I've read your book. I find some of your views on the vampire race rather interesting."

"I sense some skepticism," Worple said, sounding a little proud of himself and offended.

"Just some opposing opinions, that's all," Aria said casually.

"Such as?"

"Primarily your thesis that vampires are very similar to vampires," Aria admitted in a very studious tone.

"You disagree?" Worple asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"I don't dare to disagree that the hunger and violent tendencies between the two races are similar," Aria pointed out quickly. "What I don't agree is the constant comparison between them, lumping them in the same category. After all, the majority of all werewolves will only attack humans during the full moon phase. To go so far as to compare them to the vampire species, who drink blood only to survive, is a contradiction when werewolves don't attack to feed, only out of their darkest needs for violence."

"You have a very keen and opinionated student on your hands, Horace," Worple said, smiling in amusement at Slughorn. "I can see why you would bring her to a function such as this. She is quite methotical."

"That is my Aria, all right," Slughorn said proudly, puffing out his already large chest with pride as he tried to make himself look taller.

"I'll bet that she would have quite the discussion with my friend, Sanguini," Worple said in amusement. He looked around, sounding confused as he asked, "Where did he go? I believe he was talking to another charming young girl a moment ago..."

"Oh, there he is!" Slughorn said, looking over the crowd. He pointed and said, "Over there!"

Harry turned his head and took a step away from Slughorn, Worple and Aria and blinked in surprise when he saw who Slughorn was pointing to. It was a tall man standing by and talking to a young girl wearing a beautiful green dress that came down to her ankles with slits on either side of the dress that came up to her knees. The dress was a halter top and outlined the girl's arms and muscles perfectly, a familiar diamond necklace hanging around her neck in a very flattering way, bringing out the blue of her eyes.

"Riley?" Harry asked in surprise, recognizing his friend next to the man. He walked over, past several other people, including girls who stood oggling at the handsome man Riley was talking to.

Riley turned her head and smiled at Harry when she saw him. "Hey there, Harry."

"I thought you weren't coming," Harry said, completely confused.

Riley shook her head and said, "I wasn't going to, but I was talking to Professor Slughorn beforehand when Sanguini came into the office. We started talking and didn't stop." She smiled over at the man standing beside her, a tall man with dark hair and shadows under his eyes, but very good looking. He had red eyes that flickered back and forth between Riley and Harry as he listened to their conversation. Riley nodded and said, "Sanguini, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is Sanguini, one of our more prominant guests."

"You have a very interesting friend, Mr. Potter," Sanguini, who Harry guessed was the vampire rumored to be visiting the party, said as he nodded respectfully to Harry. He smiled at Riley and said, "She has kept me busy for the last hour, discussing her views of the current events occuring in London and the Ministry, as well as the progression of the Hogwarts students academically and magically."

"Also about soccer," Riley pointed out, smiling at Harry with sparkling eyes. "Sanguini is a fan of Manchester United's team, but I'm very much an avid Australian fan."

"Just remember where the Australians came from," Sanguini pointed out, smiling in amusement at Riley.

"Yes," Riley admitted, "But you can't keep relying on that every time we dicuss different countries. After all, each country has to evolve by another country's initiation. A country is shaped by the country from the religion, traditions and morals of a country, true, but in the fight for independence and singularity, the people of a country will take their own unique ideas and interests, modifying the traditions and culture by which they originated from and those they aspire to be like so that they are no longer similar to another contry, their own individual identity. After all, that's the whole reason for making a new country, to be their own, different from anyone else."

"See?" Sanguini said, looking at Riley. "Fascinating. Not many creatures, especially females - no offense to you, Riley (Riley nodded in acknowledgement) - think on a level of philosophy as well as scientifically and anthropologically."

"I have no idea what you just said," Harry said, voicing his cluelessness.

"Hence my point," Singuini admitted. "It's not your fault, though, not a negative. I tend to find conversations with humans boring because of the frequent tendency to oggle at my specie differences

"Riley isn't that young," Harry pointed out. "She's almost eighteen."

Sanguini smiled and said, "I am 768-years-old, Harry Potter. Anyone under the age of 200 is young to me."

Harry blushed, realizing how stupid he must have sounded. "Sorry," he began.

Sanguini turned to look at Riley and said, "I'll leave you to talk with your friend."

"Catch up again later?" Riley asked hopefully.

Sanguini nodded and said, "Sure thing. It's been interesting talking to you, Riley O'Malley." He turned to Harry and nodded to him before saying, "It was good to meet you, Harry Potter."

"You, too," Harry said, nodding to the man as he left and began to walk over to a shorter, stubbier man who was standing with Slughorn on the far side of the room.

Once Harry and Riley were alone, he nodded to the balcony, away from everyone else. Riley leaned against the balcony rail with both arms and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply as she smiled and felt the night wind against her face. Harry leaned against the rail with one arm, setting his second hand on his rested arm as he looked at her.

"You seem relaxed," Harry observed with an amused smile.

Riley shrugged and admitted, "It's not as bad here as I expected, but I think the thing I'm looking forward to most is going home the day after tomorrow."

"True," Harry admitted. "I'm really surprised that you decided to stay."

Riley shrugged. "Sanguini convinced me to stay and talk. I just cast a spell to change my outfit while I was in the bathroom, and it all worked out."

"Worked well," Harry observed. "You look amazing."

Riley smiled and said politely, "Thank you, Harry. You look good yourself."

"I think Seamus would have preffered that you ask him, though," Harry pointed out.

Riley nodded and admitted seriously, "I know, but I couldn't ask him. I don't feel that way about him, and asking him, even as friends, would only instil false attraction."

"Does it have anything to do with Fred?" Harry dared to ask.

Riley frowned and let out a small sigh, looking down as she said, "I gave Fred enough reasons to doubt me last year. I'm not going to give him any reason again."

Harry nodded and admitted, "I can understand it. You don't have to windrow dress something like that."

"I know," Riley admitted. "I do, it's just that I'm not used to it, being able to be so open with someone, especially after last year."

"Harry, m'boy!"

Harry and Riley turned their heads to see Slughorn dragging Snape over, a big grin on Slughorn's face. Right behind Snape was Aria, looking on with dread.

Riley grinned at Harry and said in amusement, "This ought to be interesting."

Harry rolled his eyes and muttered, "See ya after doomsday."

Riley chuckled and said quietly, "Some days, I really don't envy you."

Harry gave a fake smile and walked back into the office to where Slughorn, Aria and Snape were. Slughorn smiled up at Snape and said, "As I was saying, the two finest specemins I've seen since you, Severus. Aria, with her knowledge and keen sense of learning and curiousity... always seeking to learn, she is... and Harry's exceptional potion-making! Some credit must go to you, of course, you taught him for five years!"

"Funny, I never had the impression that I managed to teach Potter anything at all," Snape sneered, glaring at Harry. "Hardwick shows enough potential, true, but Potter..."

"Well, then it's natural ability!" shouted Slughorn. "You should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death - both of them in fact - never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, I don't think even you, Severus -"

"Realy?" said Sape quietly, his eyes still boring into Harry, who felt a certain disquiet. The last thing he wanted was for Snape to start investigating the source of his newfound brilliance at Potions. At least Aria had nothing to hide. She really was a genius when it came to the subject.

"Remind me what other subjects you're taking, Harry?" asked Slughorn. "You, too, Aria."

"Well, I'm taking double Defense Against the Dark Arts, double Potions, Muggle History, Transfigurations and Charms," Aria said casually.

"And I'm taking Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transigurations, Herbology..." Harry began.

"All subjects required, in short, for becoming an Auror," said Snape in a sneer.

"Well, that's what I want to become," Harry pointed out.

"Very good, very good," Slughorn said in approval. "A proud job. Aria, m'girl, wants to become a researcher of potions, isn't that correct, Aria?"

"Yes, Professor," Aria said, nodding in agreement.

Harry opened his mouth to speak when he saw something that about made him want to laugh: Draco Malfoy being dragged by the ear toward them by Argus Filch.

"Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, his jowls quiver and the maniacal light of mischief-detectio in his bulging eyes, "I discovered this boy lurking in an aupstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

Malfoy pulled himself free of Filch's grip, looking furious. "All right, I wans't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gate-crash, happy?"

"No, I'm not!" said Filch, a statement at complete odds with the glee on his face. "You're in trouble, you are!"

"Back off, Filch!"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise and alarm as he turned his head and saw Riley walking through the crowd, her eyes narrowed and alight with anger. She walked through the crowd, a crowd which began murmering and watching in surprise as Riley walked forward in defense of Draco Malfoy. After all, if nothing else had been proven this year, Riley and Malfoy were nothing like the caring couple that they had seemed like last year. This year, there had been nothing but rumors and contempt shown between the two, especially with him recently being kicked off of the Quidditch team by Riley. Yet here she was, standing up for him against the school faculty, a show of absolute allegiance that Harry recognized in his friends. But as Harry looked back at Filch and Malfoy, he saw that no one looked more surprised than Malfoy, who was staring at her as though she had turned into a ghost right in front of him. Clearly, he hadn't expected for her to defend him either.

"What did you say?" Filch asked angrily.

"He may have been wrong in trying to sneak into the party," Riley pointed out. "But you have no right to manhandle him the way you were."

"Riley is right, Argus," Slughorn said, waving a hand to Filch. "Let the boy stay. It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment. You may stay, Draco."

Filch's expression of outraged disappointment was perfectly predictable, but why, Harry wondered, watching him, did Malfoy not show any sign of emotion, other than shock as he stared right at Riley, who was staring right back at him. What was going on between them now?

"It's nothing, nothing," said Slughorn, waving away Malfoy's thanks. "I did know your grandfather, after all..."

"He always spoke very highly of you, sir," said Malfoy quickly, moving over to stand beside Slughorn. "Said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known..."

Harry stared at Malfoy in disbelief and wonder. Even as Malfoy spoke, his eyes kept glancing back over to Riley, who hadn't moved, but was keeping her eyse on Malfoy. Her eyes were narrowed, serious as she watched him, clearly not aware of the wondering eyes that were passing over her.

"I'll have a word with you Draco," said Snape suddenly, walking up to Malfoy and Slughorn.

"Oh, now Severus," said SLughorn, hiccuping. "It's Christmas, don't be too hard -"

"I'm his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be," said Snape curtly. "Follow me, Draco."

They left, Snape leading the way, Malfoy looking resentful. Harry stood there for a moment, and then looked around, making sure that no one was there. He then slipped out, following after them.

Riley watched Harry follow after Snape and Draco, her eyes narrowing seriously as she watched them leave the office. She took a sip of her Butterbeer, deciding that if Harry was going to follow them, then it wasn't necessary for her to eavesdrop with her wolf ears. She was sure that she could find out what had been said from Harry later. Even so, it intrigued her as to why Draco would come up to this floor. She doubted it had to do with the party. After all, he'd shown absolutely no interest in it since the invitations were sent out. So what was it that he was up to?

"You seem to be very protective of your friends."

Riley turned her head and blinked in surprise when she saw Sanguini walking back over, his hands folded behind his back. His red eyes were fixed on Riley with interest, though there was a serious expression on his face.

"What do you mean?" Riley asked, confused.

"The blonde boy in the black dress robes," Sanguini pointed out. "The one that you spoke up for a few minutes ago."

"Draco?" Riley asked in surprise. "No, he's not a friend of mine, not anymore."

"Then why defend him so?" Sanguini asked, sounding surprised and slightly confused. "After all, defying school staff could result in very messy matters."

Riley shrugged and folded her arms as she admitted, "Well, I'm kind of used to school-administered reprecussions."

"So I've heard," Sanguini admitted. "But that doesn't explain why you would stick your neck out for him."

Riley hesitated, and then answered, "Because in spite of our problems, he is a member of my House, and I won't allow for any of my House members to be disrespected."

"I see you value loyalty very highly," Sanguini said, sounding slightly impressed.

Riley nodded. "Very, and even though he doesn't, I will defend him out of it. I believe very firmly that those witches and wizards who come out of Slytherin don't have to be bad witches and wizards, that our cunning and brains can be used for good, just as my mother believed, and her mother. I will do what I can to protect those in my House and give them the opportunity to prove my theory correct."

Sanguini nodded in approval and said with an approving smile, "That is a worthy goal. You are a wonder, Riley."

Riley grinned and said politely, "Thank you, Sanguini. Hopefully, that will prove to be a good thing in the future."

Sanguini smiled and said, "I'm sure it will."

Riley nodded and thought hopefully, I hope you're right.


	25. Chapter 25: Trip Home

Chapter Twenty-five: Trip Home

Riley sat on the train with her eyes closed, her hands folded against her stomach and her feet propped up on the seat across from her. She felt as though her entire body was going to turn inside out, her entire body wanting to melt, and yet explode at the same time. It had been a long time since she'd felt this drained, so tired that she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep for five months at the very least. She was alone in a Hogwarts Express compartment, happy to be heading the Weasley house for the holidays. They would be at the Weasley house for a month before coming back. All Riley wanted was to climb into her warm tent and fall asleep, only to wake up to Fred being there.

Talking to Sanguini the previous night had led into another long, in-depth conversation covering many different topics: the politcs and representation of vampires within the Ministry of Magic, the problems that vampires had faced with their biggest opposer: Dolores Umbridge, differences in opinions on laws regarding laws regarding the use of magics, sensorship in school libraries, and international affairs, among many other topics. Their discussion had continued until two o'clock in the morning when Worple and Slughorn called them to a stop, stating that Snape would surely be unhappy if his student was to go all night without any sleep, and that even though vampires are used to staying awake and all night, Hogwarts students, even the ones invited to the party, would need to go to sleep in time to make the train the next morning, something that Riley had barely found time to do. In fact, lying half-asleep with her eyes closed, Riley was thankful that she'd asked Harry to grab her food from the trolley instead of braving the venture herself.

As soon as she thought of him, Riley heard the compartment door open and sensed Harry enter. He walked over and sat down on the other seat, looking at Riley as he asked, "Ron and Hermione will be a little while before they make it here. They have some Prefect duties to take care of before relaxing with their friends. Don't you, too?"

"I already went over the stuff with Draco," Riley said, waving a hand lazily and dismissively. "He's taking care of all of it since he went to bed at a reasonable hour last night."

Harry hesitated, and then asked, "Why did you defend him at the party?"

Riley hesitated, letting out a sigh before opening her eyes and asking, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Harry said, frowning seriously. "Why did yous tick up for Malfoy last night?"

Riley rolled her eyes and grunted, "I was wondering if you'd bring that up."

"Like no one else has?" Harry challenged.

Riley looked at Harry through tired and annoyed eyes and admitted, "No. In fact, no one in Slytherin brought it up because they all probably think we're going out again. Harry, I'm not going to let Filch get away with manhandling the kids in my House just because I'm afraid of stepping on some toes or making things look like something they aren't."

"So you weren't defending Malfoy as a friend?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not," Riley said, rolling her eyes again. "Harry, it's over between us. I don't know what it's going to take for you all to realize it, but there's nothing there anymore."

"Maybe not for you, but it's definitely still there for him," Harry pointed out.

"That's not my problem," Riley pointed out. "Draco gave up all rights to pursue me, lost all of my interest when he hurt me and his dad and aunt tried to kill me."

Harry nodded and said quietly, "Fine, I believe you. I just needed to hear it from you."

"You shouldn't have had to," Riley pointed out. "Nothing has changed, Harry. I'm not in love with Draco Malfoy, and I'm not going to do anything to hurt my relationship with Fred. I don't know what it's going to take for everyone to realize that."

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "I guess it's that part of me will always see you standing up for him against Fred last year, even when it was clear that Malfoy was playing with our minds."

"I know," Riley admitted. "But things are different now, for all of us. The sooner people accept that Draco and I are done, the sooner everyone will be able to move on and adapt to new and more meaningful realities and situations."

Harry scoffed as he looked at Riley, shaking his head in dismay at her. "What?" Riley asked uncomfortably, not sure of what he was so dismayed at.

"The vampire," Harry said with a small smile, "Sahuni?"

"Sanguini," Riley corrected.

"Right," Harry said, nodding. "He was right about you. You do think on a level different than most people I know. Your vocabulary is completely different than that of most people our age."

Riley shrugged and admitted, "You read enough history and such, do enough writing and your vocabulary and grammar is likely to be higher than that of someone who reads and writes just enough to get by."

Harry nodded and admitted, "True." He smiled and asked, "So, you want Jelly Beans?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Riley said, her voice and eyes suddenly like that of a five-year-old as she held her hands out to Harry. "Gimme gimme gimme!"

Harry laughed as he handed over a bag of Jelly Beans that he had pre-ordered a week ago and recieved two days ago. Riley hated Berty Box's Every Flavored Bean. She was a sucker for Muggle Jelly Beans, which Harry tended to agree with. They didn't taste like earwax or vomit or anything.

The two were discussing the Christmas party while eating when Riley heard the sound of the compartment door opening. Riley turned her head and blinked in surprise when she saw Draco Malfoy standing at the compartment door, looking in at her. "Draco?" she asked uncomfortably. "What are you doing here?"

"Need to talk to you about Prefect duties," Draco answered in a somewhat pleasant voice, at least in comparison to his standard sneer.

"I thought you said you could handle it," Riley said in confusion.

"Well, I was wrong," Draco said abruptly. He narrowed his eyes distastefuly at Harry and said, "Unless you and Potter are otherwise occupied."

"We're not," Harry said, standing up and facing Draco eye-to-eye. "I'll leave two to discuss whatever it is that you need to talk about." He looked at Riley and said, "I'm going to go find Ginny and Luna. I'm sure they're talking with Aria or someone somewhere. Come find us when you get the chance."

"Right," Riley said, nodding to Harry.

Harry turned back toward Draco and said sternly, "Behave."

"Yes, Father," Draco sneered, stepping inside of the compartment. "After all, we wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the Chosen One's best friend, would we? He might hurt us Slytherins in revenge."

"Draco," Riley said warningly. As much as she hated the lie, she almost preferred the way Draco had acted last year, when he'd at least pretended to be civil with her friends. Now that she knew about his family and had been proven wrong about them, since she'd turned him down as anything more than a friend, he had no reason to hide his true nature.

Harry rolled his eyes and stepped out of the compartment, not saying a word. Draco closed the blinds on the compartment door and looked back at Riley only to say in amusement, "I think I struck a nerve."

"You know," Riley said sarcastically, "I think that if you put just a slight edge and a few more offensive mocks in your conversation, your sarcasm might be a little sharper and affective."

"I'll do my best to remember that next time," Draco said with a smirk.

Riley rolled her eyes and grunted, "What did you want to talk about, Draco? And don't give me some bull shit story about the first-years. I already know that you can more than take care of them. They practically worship you, unfortunately."

"Comes with being a pureblood."

"I'm a pureblood, but that doesn't make a bitch," Riley pointed out, setting a hand on her hip and pointing to Draco. "Whereas you are a selfish bastard that likes to exploit your political power. Hmmm... maybe you should go for the position of Minister of Magic," she added sarcastically, tilting her head to the side curiously. "Heaven help England, but you fit the persona."

Draco shrugged and said in equal sarcasm, "I'll remember that suggestion. I may be a selfish bastard, but I would like to point out that you _can _be quite the bitch."

It took all she had for Riley to not smile. There were very few people who would outright call her a bitch, mostly because people were afraid of how she would react. Frankly, it was amusing, especially from Draco, who clearly no longer had any intention of hiding his true colors.

"To the right people, yes," Riley admitted, nodding. "But in that case, it's called deserved resentment, not being a bitch."

"Tomatoe, tomato. Besides, you _are_ a female dog, so it's all kind of relative."

"True."

Draco smirked even more and asked, "If you knew that I was lying, why did you allow Potter to leave?"

Riley shrugged carelessly and admitted, "Frankly, I'm too tired to give a shit, so you might as well say what you have to say."

"But I could attack you," Draco said in a mocking tone. "I could put a scar on your other cheek to match the one my father left."

Riley looked right at Draco and said seriously, "I know you wouldn't do that."

"Why do you think that?" Draco asked, sounding intrigued and somewhat curious.

Riley blinked and said calmly, "Because you care too much about me. You want me to feel pain, yes, but you're more into emotional pain than physical, though you take joy out of physical torment, too."

Draco rolled his eyes and said with a frown, "It's not like I get off on tormenting people, Riley, especially you."

"Frankly, Draco," Riley said as she rolled her eyes, "I don't want to know what gets you off and what doesn't."

Draco raised an eyebrow and asked, "What _do _you want then?"

"What do you mean?" Riley asked, confused.

"Why did you stick up for me the other night?" Draco asked, sounding confused. "After everything that I've done to you and your friends, why did you stick up for me at Slughorn's party? You stuck your neck out for me, and I have no idea why. I want to know."

"Does it matter?"

"It does to me," Draco said in a low and serious tone, looking Riley right in the eyes.

Riley stared right back at Draco and said, "Unfortunately for you, I have no interest in telling." She stood up and began walking toward Draco. "Please move."

As Riley walked right up to Draco and tried to pass him, she felt his hand slide onto her stomach, holding her back. Her eyes slammed shut and she felt every muscle in her body tense as all of the memories from the previous year, good and bad, came flashing back into her mind. She was aware of the small gasp that escaped her lips, her left hand reaching out to grab a hold of the compartment wall to hold herself stable. She felt her head spin, the feeling of his fingers on her skin about ready to make her head explode. Suddenly, she hated herself for having worn low-riding pants and a short top that exposed her stomach. It was the first time since the term had started that she'd been able to wear whatever she wanted without having to be in the common room. It felt good to be in normal clothes again, but now...

"Do you feel it, too?" Draco whispered, his breath hot on Riley's ear as she stood frozen, her body mere inches away from his, and his mouth mere millimeters away from her ear. "Do you feel it creeping up inside of you, making you feel like you're going to go mad? You can't deny it, Riley. You can't deny what you want, what burns inside of you."

Riley looked at Draco, her eyes and voice shaking. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"It's like you said," Draco whispered, looking Riley in the eyes. "I go for the emotions over the physical pain."

"Drop dead," Riley said, her voice shaking uncontrollably as she tried to pull her eyes away from Draco's.

"By your hand, gladly," Draco said calmly. He and Riley stared at one another in silence, only for him to ask, "You can't, can you? You can't kill me."

"It's not that," Riley said quietly. "It's that I won't."

"Why?" Draco asked, sounding confused.

Riley stared at Draco for a moment, only to open the compartment door and walk out. She walked out into the aisle and didn't stop as she began to sniff Harry out. She found him several compartments down in a fairly spacious compartment with Ginny. The two were talking, clearly involved in their conversation, and turned to face Riley as she slid the door open, not hesitating to stop inside and away from Draco Malfoy.

"Did you and Malfoy get your stuff settled back there?" Harry asked casually.

"What?" Riley asked in alarm, looking up at Harry through wide eyes, wondering how he could possibly know about what had happened.

"Malfoy?" Ginny asked, her eyes narrowing with dislike. "You two were alone?"

"You and Malfoy were going to talk about Prefect stuff," Harry pointed out. "Did you get it solved?"

"Uh, yeah," Riley said, nodding.

"Riley?" Ginny asked, looking up at Riley in alarm. "Is something wrong?"

"Did Malfoy do something to you?" Harry asked, the concern in his voice growing.

"No," Riley said quickly, struggling to gain some composure and ability to think. "No, I'm fine. I'm just still waking up. Fell asleep back there during the conversation. It was really boring."

Riley had the feeling that neither Ginny nor Harry believed her, but she wasn't about to explain the truth to them about why she was so jumpy. There was no need for a blood bath on the Hogwarts Express, and that was exactly what would happen if Riley told Ginny and Harry that Malfoy had laid a hand on her, especially if it could cause this much of a reaction out of her. As Riley sat down on the seat next to Ginny, across from Harry, she leaned her head back against the compartment wall and closed her eyes. She laid her arms against her stomach, feeling both self-conscious and violated, wondering if those feelings caused by Draco's touch alone would ever go away.

Riley let out a sigh of relief as the train pulled to a stop at King's Cross. She stepped out onto the wooden platform and ran her hands through her hair, closing her eyes. She drank in the scents around her, though not all of them good, and was grateful to be home, or at least relatively close. Now it was just a matter of getting back home.

"Riley, over here!"

Riley opened her eyes and turned her head, smiling as she recognized Fred, George, and Molly Weasley walking over, all with big smiles on their faces. Riley felt herself relax, suddenly grateful to be back in London and with people who genuinely cared about her.

"Hey there," Fred said gently with a smile, walking up to Riley and wrapping his arms around her. Riley wrapped her arms around Fred's waist, holding him close. She let out a long, satisfied sigh. When she didn't move, Fred asked, "You all right?"

"Yeah," Riley said with a smile, not opening her eyes. "Just holding onto the moment, freezing it in my mind."

Riley frowned as she opened her eyes, her eyes falling on Draco, who was standing about fifty feet away with his mother. Though Narcissa wasn't looking their way, Draco was, his eyes locked with Riley's. She clung to Fred even tighter, closing her eyes and turning her face in toward his neck.

_Everything will be okay now,_ she thought, aware that her thoughts were mostly to comfort and try to convince herself. _Everything will be okay._


	26. Chapter 26: A Very Frosty Christmas

Chapter Twenty-six: A Very Frosty Christmas

* * *

"So Snape was offering to help him? He was definitely offering to _help _him?"

"If you ask that once more," said Harry, visibly growing annoyed rather fast.

"I'm only checking!" said Ron. they were standing alone at the Burrow's kitchen sink, peeling a mountain of sprouts for Mrs. Weasley. Snow was drifting past the window in front of them.

"Yes, Snape was offering to help him!" said Harry. "He said he'd promised Malfoy's mother to protect him, that he'd made an Unbreakable Oath or something-"

"An Unbreakable Vow?" said Ron, looking stunned. "Nah, he can't have... Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," said Harry. "Why, what does it mean?"

"Well, you can't break an Unbreakable Vow..."

"I'd worked that much out for myself, funnily enough. What happens if you break it, then?"

"You die," said Ron simply. "Fred and George tried to get me to make one when I was about five. I nearly did, too. I was holding hands with Fred and everything when Dad found us. He went mental," said Ron, with a reminiscent gleam in his eyes. "Only time I've ever seen Dad as angry as Mum. Fred reckons his left buttock has never been the same since."

"I'm sure that's one story that hasn't made it's way into Riley's knowledge yet," Harry said with an amused gleam in his eyes. "Otherwise, Fred probably wouldn't have any buttock at all. Well, passing over Fred's left buttock-"

"I beg your pardon?" said Fred's voice as the twins entered the kitchen."

"Aaah, George, look at this. They're using knives and everything. Bless them."

"You know," Harry said, tilting his head to the side as he looked at the twins. He raised the knife toward them in indication and said, "I'm pretty sure that you two were supposed to be out with your dad while Aria and Riley went shopping, not to mention that

"What do you think we are, slaves to our girlfriends?" George asked, slapping high-fives with Fred, who laughed.

"Yes," Harry and Ron said in unison, getting a very nasty expression from the twins.

"And I think I remember Riley saying something to you both about not making fun of us because of our lack of ability to do magic," Harry said, smirking at his selective memory. "And she is an overaged witch now, so she can play in your guys's barn any day."

"Well, what she doesn't know can't hurt her," George said. "Isn't that right, Ronald?" he asked, turning his head to his little brother. "You wouldn't tell on us, now would you? You wouldn't risk being turned into something small and slimey like a toad, would you? After all, we can do that."

"I'll be seventeen in two and a bit months' time," said Ron grumpily, "and then I'll be able to do it by magic."

"But meanwhile," said George, sitting down at the kitchen table and putting his feet up on it, "we can enjoy watching you demonstrate the correct use of a - whoops-a-daisy!"

"You made me do that!" said Ron angrily, sucking his cut thumb. "You wait, when I'm seventeen."

"I'm sure you'll dazzle us all with hitherto unsuspected magical skills," yawned Fred, clearly in disbelief in lack of interest.

"And speaking of hitherto unsuspected skills, Ronald," said George, "what is this we hear from Ginny about you and a young lady called - unless our information is faulty - Lavender Brown?"

Ron turned a little pink, but did not look displeased as he turned back to the sprouts. "Mind your own business," hes aid through gritted teeth.

"What a snappy retort," said Fred. "I really don't know how you think of them. No, what we wanted to know was... how did it happen?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Did she have an accident or something?"

"What?"

"Well, how did she sustain such extensive brain damage?"

"Like you're one to talk."

"And how's that?"

Ron smirked, a devious look in his eyes as he said coolly, "You're dating the one girl who could tie Hermione for top witch or wizard in our class, one of the smartest witches I've ever met, and yet she chooses you, a Hogwarts drop-out. What brain damage did _she_ go through?"

Fred's eyes narrowed to slits, and George began laughing as he looked at his twin brother, who looked ready to blow up. Harry couldn't help but struggle not to laugh. For Ron not having any good retorts, he'd just blasted a burn out at Fred that would leave a mark for months. It was at moments like this that Fred truly showed how much he was related to his mom, when he looked ready to turn Ron into a rat.

"Well, at least I-" Fred began, slamming his fists on the table.

"Yes, I think all four boys are in there, Mrs. Weasley," a voice said, one that made all four boys freeze in terror.

Riley walked into the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley, bags of groceries on her arms. All of the boys looked at one another, terror in their eyes at the prospect that Riley and Mrs. Weasley might have overheard their conversation. They each sent a message through their eyes saying "Don't you dare say a word", seeing as none of them wanted each other to know what had been going on in the kitchen.

Riley smiled as she looked around. "See, Mrs. Weasley? They're all here."

"Which doesn't explain why you aren't with your father, boys," Mrs. Weasley said, hands on her hips as she looked at the twins.

"We just came in to give Harry and Ron a hand, Mum," George said, quickly covering for himself. "After all, if they get these sprouts done faster, then they can come help us with Dad. Five hands are faster than three."

"Sure they are," Riley said, staring at George, who looked away in annoyance.

Harry had to struggle not to laugh. The twins were horrible liars, and he was grateful that Mrs. Weasley hadn't asked him, because Harry was a terrible liar, far worse than the boys, unless it came to Snape. In that case, he could lie as well as he wanted to.

Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to notice anything strange about her sons. "Fred, George, I'm sorry, dears, but Remus is arriving tonight, so Bill will have to squeeze in with you two."

"No problem," George said as he grabbed an apple from a basket on the counter and took a bite out of it.

"Then, as Charlie isn't coming home, that leaves Harry and Ron in the attic, and if Fleur shares with Riley and Aria moves in with Ginny-"

"That's not a good idea, Mrs. Weasley," Riley quickly rushed to say.

Mrs. Weasley looked at Riley in surprise. "No?"

"No," Riley said, shaking her head. "Fleur is still kind of sore about the Triwizard Tournament, in that she thinks I cheated my way in and won't let me forget about it. Things often resort in some violence when she gets angry enough. Putting us in the same room..."

"Boom!" Fred mimicked an explosion, making motions with his hands as he mocked the movement of casting a spell, and then falling to his knees, pretending that guts were falling out of his stomach. "Gush!"

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said, looking surprised, while everyone else struggled not to laugh as Fred got back to his feet. "Dear, well, you're most correct. It took us forever to put that shed together for you and Aria, so I'll have Fleur and Aria in Ginny's room, and Ginny can move in with you. Will that be all right?"

"That should be fine," Riley said, nodding. "Aria's French is still pretty good from when she went to Beauxbatons, and she knew Fleur then, so I'm sure they'll have lots to talk about, in French," she added, looking slightly queasy that the thought. "Me, personally, I'm more of a Japanese girl..." she went on, muttering to herself.

"Very well," Mrs. Weasley said, nodding.

"Poor, Aria," George muttered.

"Well, she ain't boardin' with _you_, Bill and Fred," Harry said, looking at George, who blushed slightly. "You speak Japanese?" Harry asked in surprise, looking curiously at Riley.

"Well, that's actually a funny story," Riley began. "At Durm-"

"And everyone should be comfortable," Mrs. Weasley said, sounding slightly harassed. "Well, they'll have a bed, anyway."

"Percy definitely not showing his ugly face, then?" asked Fred, looking at his mom.

Mrs. Weasley turned away before she answered, "No, he's busy, I expect, at the Ministry."

"Or he's the World's biggest prat," said Fred, as Mrs. Weasley left the kitchen. "One of the two. Well, let's get going, then, George." With that, they both began to get to their feet, turning to the doorway.

"Uh, uh," Riley said, her hands on the dinner table as she stared down at the sprouts, not meeting anyone's gaze. "I don't think so, boys. Hold it, for a moment, and then you can leave." Fred and George froze in the doorway and slowly turned around, visibly dreading to hear what Riley was going to say. "First of all," Riley said, shifting on her feet. "Yes, I said not to make fun of Harry and Ron for not being able to use magic. No, you're not slaves to your girlfriends, but you are subjects. No, Ron," she said looking over at Ron who was gloating, but now stood frozen in surprise as he stared at Riley, who looked slightly annoyed. "I didn't suffer any brain damage when I decided to date Fred, but neither did Lavender Brown," she said, looking back at Fred, who lowered his head as he blushed slightly. "And if I ever find out that either of you have ever tried to make your brother, or anyone else, do an Unbreakable Vow..." Both boys shot up their heads in alarm as Riley added, her voice clearly growing angry, "Ron won't be the only one who gets turned into something slimey." With that, she headed toward the back door. As she grabbed the door handle and turned it, opening the door, she looked back at George and smiled as she said, "And no, George, I may be a conniving, sarcastic bitch, but I'm not a sadistic one." When she saw George's eyes lit up in shock, as well as everyone's, she raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "Wolf, remember? I've got ears that can hear whatever you say from up to fifty yards away." With that, she walked out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her.

"Okay," Ron said as he watched Riley go. "_That _was creepy."

"Tell me about it," Fred said, his eyes wide. He looked at George and said in disbelief, "You seriously called her a conniving, sarcastic, sadistic bitch?"

"Right when she came in and mouthed off, without actually saying anything," George stammered. "But I muttered it!" he exclaimed. "I never thought in a million years that she'd hear me, even with her super hearing!"

"Well," Fred said. "That aside, we need to go make room for Bill in our room. Let's go George."

As Fred and George left the room, Harry heard them say, "Hey, Aria. What are you doing in here?"

"Hey, Fred, George. I need to talk to Harry and Ron." With that, Aria slipped into the room, a look of concern on her face. "Harry, Ron, I just got word from Hannah Stone-"

"Who?" Ron asked, confused.

Aria rolled her eyes. "Honestly, do you guys never get to know any of your classmates?" Harry and Ron shrugged, and Aria said, "She's a sixth year from Ravenclaw."

"Strange that we haven't noticed her before," Harry said, looking at Ron. "She's been in our class this whole time."

"Duh," Aria said, shaking her head. "You guys are so oblivious. Well, I have her in my Advanced Potions class, and it turns out that her mom's a Death Eater."

"Then why are you talking to her?" Ron demanded, sounding offended.

"Because just because her mom's a Death Eater, it doesn't mean that she's bad!" Aria yelled angrily, surprising Ron and Harry. "She's been giving me what information she can for the past year. No one else believed her last year, with the Ministry trying to cover everything up and all, so when she found out that I'm a member of the Order, she came to me and told me about her mom, that she was scared and wanted to stop Voldemort. She hasn't met him, but she's felt his presence outside of her house. He's visiting houses all over London."

"And what did she tell you this time?" Harry asked, ignoring Ron's look of disbelief.

"Her mom is dead," Aria said, surprising the boys. "Killed by Voldemort himself."

"What?" Ron asked in disbelief. "Why would You-Know-Who-"

"Because her mom was trying to give away information," Aria said, once again surprising Harry. Aria looked him in the eyes as she said, "Voldemort is planning something, something big and soon. Whatever it is, Hannah's mom tried to sell the information for protection, but when she went to make the drop-off, Hannah followed, only to hear her mom and Voldemort meet and Voldemort say 'I won't let that boy destroy every last piece of me. I will get him first.' She said that there was a bright flash of green, and then her mom was dead, and Voldemort was gone."

"You-Know-Who didn't see her?" Ron asked in surprise.

Aria shrugged. "Guess not."

Harry stared at Aria in disbelief. "Are you sure that's what he said?"

Aria nodded as she looked at Harry. "I'm positive. She showed up at Hermione's house, and is staying with her family during vacation. The first thing she did was send an owl to me. Nightshade picked it up and brought it to me half an hour ago," she said, talking about her new black tabby, who looked exactly like Aria did when she transformed, almost down to the stripes.

"So this girl whose mother was a Death Eater - who is probably being hunted down by You-Know-Who - is staying with Hermione?" Ron asked, his face growing red with concern and anger.

"Oh, good grief, Ron," Aria said in disbelief. "Hermione can more than take care of herself. I doubt Voldemort would go himself to take care of a little girl, and Hannah and Hermione are great witches. Besides, who would think to look at a Muggleborn's house for the daughter of a Pureblood Death Eater?" Ron seemed to understand this logic, though it didn't completely get rid of his tension. Aria turned to Harry. "'Every last piece of me'. He's talking about Horcruxes, isn't he?"

"Whoa!" a voice said with a start. Harry turned around, as did Ron, to see Riley standing in the doorway of the kitchen, her eyes wide with alarm. "That was a leap from the last subject I heard in here." She walked over to the opposite side of the table as Aria, looking around. "What did I miss? How did Horcruxes come into the picture?" She nodded to Aria. "I'm sorry about Hannah. I heard that much outside, so I know what you're talking about." She looked at Harry. "Do you know what a Horcrux is?"

"I've never heard of it," Harry said, shaking his head.

"I have," Ron said, and when everyone looked at him in surprise, he added, "Somewhat. All I know is it has to do with dark magic."

"Very dark magic," Riley said, her eyes filled with alarm still. "I don't know what you're messing with, Harry, but stay away from it. Stay as far away from it as possible. You don't want to get anywhere near Horcruxes." She glared at Aria through hateful eyes, Aria looking down at her hands, and she said darkly, "I can't believe you'd bring that up. I can't believe you'd even think of it." With that, she shoved off of the table and stormed out, leaving the three alone again.

Once Riley was long gone, Harry turned to Aria, who looked ready to curse herself, and yet miserable. "What just happened there?" he asked, growing suspicious. "What is a 'Horcrux', and why did Riley practically bite your head off for mentioning it?"

"I, I shouldn't have said anything," Aria said, shaking her head. She looked up at Harry and said, "Riley's right. Stay away from anyone who even uses that word." With that, she walked off, leaving Ron and Harry alone.

Harry and Ron looked at one another in confusion.

"What just happened?" Harry asked. "Am I completely out of the loop on something?"

"Girls," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Weird creatures." With that, he began peeling sprouts, pushing the subject to the back of his mind. Harry hesitated, wondering what had set Riley off so badly, and then he began to do the same thing.

"She's got to be joking..."

Harry woke with a start to find a bulging stocking lying over the end of his bed. He put on his glasses and looked around. The tiny window was almost completely obscured with snow and, in front of it, Ron was sitting bolt upright in bed and examining what appeared to be a thick gold chain.

"What's that?" asked Harry as he began to wake up, slowly but surely.

"It's from Lavender," said Ron, sounding revolted. "She can't honestly think I'd wear..."

Harry looked more closely and let out a shout of laughter. Dangling from the chain in large gold letters were the swords "My Sweetheart."

"Nice," he said while trying to hide his grin of amusement. "Classy. You should definitely wear it in front of Fred and George."

"If you tell them," said Ron, shoving the necklace out of sight under his pillow, "I - I - I'll -"

"Stutter me to death?" Harry dared, no longer trying to hide his grin. "Come on, would I?"

"How could she think I'd like something like that, though?" Ron demanded out of thin air, looking rather shocked.

Harry rolled his eyes. This was a losing battle.

A few hours later, after sorting through their gifts, Harry and Ron went downstairs and found that everybody was wearing new sweaters when they all sat down for Christmas lunch, everyone except Fleur and Mrs. Weasley herself, who was sporting a brand-new midnight blue witch's hat glittering with what looked like tiny star-like diamonds, and a spectacular golden necklace.

"Fred and George gave them to me! Aren't they beautiful?"

"Well, we find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now that we're washing our own socks," said George, waving an airy hand. "Parsnips, Remus?"

"Hey there, Harry, Ron," Aria said as she walked in, wearing a grey sweater with an 'A' on the back instead of the front - as per request -. Aria looked cheerful as she said, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Harry and Ron said, nodding. Harry looked around as he sat down, noticing an empty seat. "Where's Riley?"

Aria, Ginny and Fred all frowned, while everyone looked around in confusion.

"That's right," Mr. Weasley said, nodding as he looked around. "Where is Riley?" he asked, looking at Ginny. "Is she not feeling well, or is she just running late?"

"I'm not quite sure," Ginny said, looking down at her plate for a moment before saying, "She didn't come to the room last night."

"Well, where on Earth could she be?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking confused. "It couldn't be the sweater I-"

"No, Mrs. Weasley," Aria laughed slightly as she said, "I'm sure it wasn't your sweater. I haven't seen her since yesterday."

"When yesterday?" George asked, looking beside him at Aria in surprise. "Fred and I last saw her when we were talking to Ron and Harry, right, Fred?" he asked, looking at his brother, who was looking down at the table. "Fred?" he prompted.

Fred looked up at Harry, a cold expression in his eyes. Harry suddenly understood. When Riley had stormed off yesterday, she hadn't come back. Fred blinked and turned to look at George before saying blankly, "Right."

Harry began to get to his feet and he said, "Excuse me, but I need to do something." Mrs. Weasley looked hurt, but nodded in understanding. Harry walked out of the room, stopping to look back at Ginny, who nodded to him, her eyes almost saying, "Find her." With that, Harry walked out of the house, looking around to try to understand where Riley might have gone. He looked up and around, and his eyes rested on the attic, which started a train of thought with surprise. Instinctively, he ran back into the house and up the stairs toward the attic. As he drew up the stairs, he heard a voice say, "I'd like to be alone, Harry."

Harry slowly continued up the stairs, where he found Riley sitting on a crate in a black tank-top, black pants and leather jacket, strange clothes, considering the coldness of the air. Her eyes were staring out the window, her expression hidden from Harry. "Sorry, Riley," he said as he stepped up into the attic. "Can't do that."

Harry heard Riley scoff quietly, and then mutter, "Of course not." She looked over at Harry, her expression completely blank and grey as she asked, "What do you want?"

"To begin with," Harry said as he walked over, sitting down on a crate across from Riley. "I'd like to know why you're up here, and what you're not telling me that you've told Ginny and Fred?"

"Ginny has no idea," Riley said. "Not a direct one, anyway. She's gotten hints and clues for a while now."

"And Fred?" Harry asked.

Riley blinked as she looked out the window. "Fred knows, but only recently found out."

"Found out what?" Harry prompted. "This has something to do with yesterday, doesn't it? With the Horcruxes that you and Aria talked about."

Riley shook her head, letting out a sigh. "You would think that time would get rid of most memories. Well, it doesn't. It only makes them stronger, more sensible."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, confused. "What are Horcruxes?"

"Terrible magic," Riley said, looking down at Harry. "When a person kills another person with malice in their heart, with the desire to kill, your soul breaks into two pieces, each piece smaller than it was before, and more resistant to your conscience. Well, you kill enough times and those pieces become many, impervious to emotion other than the constant desire to kill. However, through dark magics, a person can take those separate pieces and put them in places, outside of the body."

"You mean in objects?" Harry asked in surprise.

Riley nodded. "Exactly. If you kill once, you can place part of your soul into an object and hide it somewhere. As long as your soul exists, is unharmed, your presence in life will never be completely destroyed. You'll live on, even a hundred years after your body has decayed."

"Sounds like it would take an extraordinary wizard to do something like that," Harry said.

Riley nodded. "Extraordinary and twisted. To think of how many times you would have to kill in order to secure, even just slightly, your existence in this world, it's beyond sanity. To have that hunger to kill, can only be the desire of a monster."

"How do you know about this?" Harry asked, confused.

Riley looked out the window and said, "My family is made up of Purebloods, some good and some bad. There have been a lot of Purebloods on my mother's side who tested with the dark arts, who wanted to use them for their own advantage."

"Your mother?" Harry asked in surprise. "I thought she was good."

"She was," Riley said, looking back at Harry. "But understand that when my mother was selected to be a student of Slytherin, there was a reason. The Hat recognized my family's blood in her, and combined with her extensive knowledge of magic and history, it chose for her to go to Slytherin. She was like me, the true meaning of a child of Slytherin: She was cunning, resourceful, smart and an amazing witch. Over the years, the House of Slytherin has been tainted with the blood of the innocent, but that's not the way it was meant to be. I'm proud of being a Slytherin, because everything that I am is everything that my mother was, that the House of Slytherin was meant to be."

"But..." Harry prompted.

Riley sighed. "My brother."

"'Brother'?" Harry asked in surprise. "I thought you were an only child."

"I am," Riley said, looking into Harry's eyes.

"Oh," Harry said awkwardly, looking down at the ground in understanding.

Riley nodded. "My parents were very young when they had my brother, Zack. Zack grew up to be an exceptional wizard, even more talented than my family had seen in centuries. No one expected him to be as talented as he was. Like me, he was a Parstletongue, but his powers went far beyond that, beyond what I can imagine. However, I strongly believe that if he'd lived, I would have been able to overpower him, that I'm stronger than he was. He learned how to summon snakes by the age of twelve, full-grown snakes that he could control by speaking. He played with them like his toys. My parents died when I was two, when Zack was ten. We were both sent to the orphanage, but Zack ran away after a month. He showed up at Hogwarts later, and took his place in Slytherin. By then, I was three. At the age of five, I found out that he had surpassed all of the witches and wizards in the school." She scoffed and shook her head. "Can you imagine, a third-year surpassing every student in a seven-year school?"

"You did," Harry said. "You told me that in your third year, you were stronger than any witch or wizard at Silvergates in Transfigurations and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"But that was a year later than Zack," Riley admitted. "Durmstrang starts their students off at the age of twelve instead of ten, and by the time I transferred to Silvergates, I was far past any student in the school. But it's more than that with Zack. I am proficient at Defense Against the Dark Arts. There's defense, and then there's the thing that you defend yourself from."

"That was Zack?" Harry guessed.

Riley nodded. "By his fifth year, Zack grew bored. By then, I was seven and already checking magical books out of the library in London, preparing for when I would go to Durmstrang. That was my dream. I could already use my snake language, but that was just for speaking to snakes, not controlling them. But Zack, he grew bored with Hogwarts, so he joined up with the Death Eaters, the constant draw inside of Slytherin. That's what the talk in Slytherin is always about, joining the Death Eaters, or at least it was. Everyone now talks about them, but back then it was all about joining them. He left, thinking that the high off of trying to resurrect the Dark Lord would be greater, more of a challenge, than anything he could do at Hogwarts."

"Your brother was a Death Eater?" Harry asked in shock, unable to think of anyone related to Riley as a Death Eater.

Riley nodded and looked at Harry, right in the eyes. "Yep, and when I was nine, I had grown to understand the same amount of magic as a first-year at Hogwarts. I wanted to get a feel of it before I went to Durmstrang. One day, Zack showed up in his flashy black robe and hat. When he pulled his mask off and revealed himself to me, explaining who he was, he offered me a chance to join him and Voldemort. He said, 'The Dark Lord is impressed with your growth, and will give you a chance to increase your powers tenfold, as he did with me'. It was through his communication with snakes that he learned that Voldemort was still alive, even if not with a body. However, he never got the chance to tell anyone, because Voldemort wasn't ready to come back, not when he didn't know who and where his enemy was."

"But you said no," Harry said, in some awe.

Riley nodded. "I couldn't believe that Zack would follow the same man who killed our parents. I told him that, and after some argument, he realized I wouldn't follow, that I would sooner die than join Voldemort. After a lot of yelling and some struggle as he tried to force me to go with him, one of the ladies who led up the orphanage, a very strong witch, came in and tried to break us up, but Zack killed her with the Killing Curse." She shook her head. "It was the first killing I could remember ever seeing, but I acted on instinct, and I attacked by brother. I recognized a necklace around his neck, a necklace belonging to my father." She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a golden chain with a pendant on the end, a pendant made of gold with a garnet inside of it. The garnet, however, was broken, smashed to pieces. Riley shook her head. "I attacked it by accident. After Zack was hit with my stunning spell, he attacked me, but I still managed to send one more spell at him, one that took the very last breath out of me and knocked me unconscious. It was the incantation for living fire, something that I knew would kill him. It didn't. Instead of hitting him, I accidentally hit his pendant. It fell off his neck, smashed to bits. I was horrified when I saw him stumble backward and fall to his knees. There was a bright light that shot from the smashed garnet, and from Zack's mouth. As one died, so did the other. Zack still got up, but he'd lost one more life."

"Like a cat with nine lives," Harry said. "That's the power of the Horcrux?"

"Six, actually," Riley said, surprising Harry. She nodded and ran her thumb over the necklace. "He attacked five people. He killed them. The few members of the Order of the Phoenix that were alive and not crazy, rescued me. They sensed my brother's presence when he first attacked me, and they came to rescue me. I woke up in Dumbledore's office to find that nearly everyone at the orphanage had been obliterated. Aria and a few orphans were all that were left. I blamed myself after that, never really moving the blame from myself." She shook her head and looked away, blinking back tears. "Zack was an idiot. He carried all of the Horcruxes on himself so that no one could ever destroy them. He didn't trust hiding places. Dumbledore said that he and the other members of the Order found them on Zack, and they were destroyed. As they were all finished off, Zack put up a fight, because he knew that they would send him to Azkaban if he didn't escape. He didn't want to meet the dementors. He didn't want to be Kissed by them. Dumbledore gave me this necklace back. He said he'd picked it up off of the floor, shortly after Zack died, fighting for his life. Lupin," she said, looking at Harry, who was watching in awe, but now surprise as she added, "was the one who finished him off for good."

"Lupin?" Harry asked in surprise.

Riley nodded. "Yeah. The only people who know about what happened are me, Aria, Dumbledore, McGonogall, Snape, Voldemort, Lupin and Fred. Aria asked that her memory not be cleared of the incident. She wanted to remember. Every other kid there had their memories whined. We couldn't risk them remembering. I just told Fred last night, after he saw me storm up here." She shook her head and looked down at the necklace. "Something so small..." she whispered, and then looked up at Harry. "If this thing with Voldemort has anything to do with Horcruxes, tell me and back off, because I want to personally run a sword through that bastard's heart, no matter what any prophecy says. I want him dead, Harry. After what he's done to my family, especially those members of my family not related to me, I want to feel my hands snap his neck in half."

Harry nodded. "I know the feeling," he said. "Believe me, I do."

Riley blinked and said, "Please don't let anyone know about me, about my brother. It's bad enough that I know, that I had to live through it once. Everyone else has agreed not to say anything, except for Voldemort, who doesn't seem to have told anyone anything."

Harry shook his head. "I won't say anything if you don't want me to, but shouldn't the Weasleys know? After all, they're your hosts while you live here."

Riley shrugged. "I don't want them in any danger in case the Death Eaters learn the truth about my relation to Zack. Most of them were in Azkaban while he was out, or they're in Azkaban now. Ginny knows that I had a brother, and that things didn't end well with him, but she doesn't know the details like I told you, and I'm not ready for her to know yet. People who know about Horcruxes are far and few, because any information about them is in the Restricted Section of libraries, especially Hogwarts."

"Wait," Harry said, thinking back to the conversation the day before. "This all got brought up when Aria was talking to me about Voldemort. Do you think he-"

"I don't know," Riley admitted. "That's a good question to ask Dumbledore. He's got more knowledge about Voldemort than I do."

"If you were to take your best guess," Harry said, looking Riley in the eye.

Riley hesitated, and then said, "Yes. It's the best way to preserve one's self, and that would explain why he didn't die after you repelled his Killing Curse."

Harry blinked and said, "You're right."

"Harry," a voice said from behind Harry.

Harry turned around and blinked when he recognized the person on the staircase. "Fred," he said in surprise.

Fred nodded downstairs. "They're waiting for you. It'd probably be good to tell them that you're both okay."

Harry hesitated and looked back at Riley. She smiled and set the necklace inside of her pants pocket. "I'm okay. I'll be down soon."

Harry hesitated, and then nodded and stood up. As he passed Fred, the red-haired boy nodded to him and said, "Thanks."

Harry smiled in answer and was about to walk down the steps, when he heard Riley say his name. He looked back at her and she frowned seriously as she said, "Press on Slughorn." He blinked in surprise and confusion, not sure of what she was saying, and she said, "Ears of a wolf, remember? Talk to Dumbledore and you'll understand," Then she added, "Slughorn's the key to finding out." Harry hesitated, and then nodded before walking downstairs.

* * *

Once Harry was gone, Fred turned to Riley and walked over so that he was in front of her. He knelt down in front of her and set his hands on her knees, looking her in the eye with a raised eyebrow. "Finished scaring the rest of the family?" he asked, half-teasingly.

Riley shook her head. "I can't face Lupin just yet. It's too soon after that conversation with Harry, Ron and Aria."

"You really think that's Voldemort's game?" Fred asked. He only referred to Voldemort by his name around Riley, the only person who knew that he was comfortable mentioning it to.

Riley shrugged. "The only person who knows is Voldemort, but if I had to take a guess, yeah, I'd say so. It makes the most sense."

Fred nodded. "You gonna be ready to go back down soon?"

Riley nodded. "Just not yet."

Fred nodded. "Probably a good idea. The Minister just showed up with Percy," he said, rolling his eyes, "not that my charming older brother seemed the least bit happy to see us. I'm sure the Minister is yacking Harry's ear off already." Riley smiled slightly, and Fred smiled. "There. I knew you had one in you. Want me to stay up with you for a while? I'm not exactly looking forward to going back down there, not with that prat down there."

Riley smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."

Fred smiled and set a hand on Riley's. She looked down at it, and he said in a gentle voice, "Nothing is going to happen to you, Riley, not to anyone you care about. I promise that nothing like what happened to Zack is going to happen to you."

"You can't know that," Riley said, frowning as she looked at Fred in fear.

Fred nodded. "I do know it. I know you, and I know that you're one of the best people that I know. You're good, not a power-hungry idiot who is willing to do anything for himself."

Riley shook her head. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle all of this."

"You are," Fred said, setting a hand on Riley's face. "We'll all make it through this. Voldemort can't touch us."

"Yes, he can," Riley said. "He can do much worse than that."

"Not if we're all together," Fred pointed out. "We've proven that once before."

"And Sirius died," Riley said in a low voice.

Fred closed his eyes, sighing as he opened them and said, "Yes, Sirius died, but it wasn't because of Voldemort. It was because of his deranged cousin, Bellatrix."

"Who I want to kill as much as she wanted to kill Sirius," Riley said. "Face it, Fred, there's a part of me that will never be sated until Bellatrix is dead, and that keeps a part of me dark."

Fred shook his head. "Then we'll just have to find a way to make her pay without killing you. I don't want you to destroy your soul, Riley O'Malley, and I'm not going to let you."

Riley smiled slightly. "When you're around, I'm not angry, Fred. You're my anchor, the only thing that keeps me from doing what I want, no matter how dark. You make everything seem all right in the end."

Fred nodded. "That's because I'm me, and you're you, and I just make you realize that there's more to life than death."

Riley blinked sadly. "I hope you're right, Fred, but I can feel something coming, something soon. It wreaks of death and it's going to cause so much pain, and I'm afraid that I'm tied up in it somehow."

"If you are, we'll make it through it," Fred said. "And for all you know, this feeling could be wrong."

"I hope so," Riley said. "But I don't think I am. I can feel it. It's strong, whatever it is, and it's filled with confusion, hate and pain. It's going to kill, Fred, and if I loose anyone else…"

"You won't," Fred insisted. "Just believe me."

_I wish I could,_ Riley thought, but merely nodded as she thought into the darkness.


	27. Chapter 27: The Wolves To Fear

A/N: Thank you, to all of my readers. I understand that I lost quite a few people with my absence, but now that my sister is out of the house, I have access to internet again. I am SOOOOOO sorry that it took this long to update. I really am. Our router got fried, so I haven't had much access to computers with internet (stupid sister!) but I do at last, so I can start updating more! This has become pretty much the only fanfiction story I'm writing anymore, and I believe I'm about halfway done. I've also had to fill in some chapters that mysteriously went missing from my computer, and it pisses me off. Btw, I looooove the spellcheck thing on the documents. It makes it so much easier not to mis-spell something unless I'm intentionally trying to. Well, I hope more people read this, and I hope you all like it, though I admit that this will probably be one of the not-so-interesting chapter, but it's all building up to the climax that most people will probably either love me or hate me for (and I'm guessing it's going to lean toward the hate). Anyway, please R&R.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-six: The Wolves To Fear

Harry stared into the fire as it burned Christmas night. He could feel the warmth of the flames, even from six feet away. He was sitting by himself on the couch, leaning forward with his elbows rested on his knees and a hot cup of hot chocolate in his hands, steaming and warming his face even more. He knew that there were mounds of snow outside, the kind of weather that had led most of the Weasleys to go to town to get food for the big Christmas feast. In fact, Harry wasn't sure just who all had left and who was still in the house. As far as he knew, he was the only one who had chosen to stay behind.

_I can't understand how Riley stands it_, Harry thought in disbelief. _Must be because she's a wolf. She never gets cold, never._

The flames flickered, and many thoughts ran through Harry's mind. What had he heard Snape and Malfoy talking about? Surely he was right, about Malfoy being a Death Eater. It was the only solution that made sense. Why else would Snape be offering to help him? It was clear that the man couldn't be trusted, but how could Harry convince everyone else of the truth?

_If only Riley was still friends with him... Then she could find out..._

Harry shook his head, clearing that thought from his mind immediately. He realized as soon as he had thought it that it had been a mistake. _I can't ask her to get involved with Malfoy again,_ he thought bitterly, cursing himself. _Not after everything that the bastard and his family have done to her. No matter how badly I want to see him punished, I can't at the sake of her sanity and health. I don't want to see her get hurt again, and that's all that will happen if she gets too heavily involved with the Slytherins. Frankly, if it were up to me, I'd just have her chance Houses. Seamus and the others were right. She might as well be one of us as it is. She's over in our dormitory constantly. We might as well have her in our House and make it official._

"Hey, Harry."

Harry looked up in blinked in surprise as Lupin walked over, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Lupin walked over to one of the chairs near the couch that faced the fire, his hands folded and resting on his lap as he calmly looked into the fireplace, his gaze cold and glazed over as he stared, as though looking at something beyond

"Marvelous weather, isn't it?" Lupin asked, though Harry could tell that he wasn't entirely into the conversation.

"Divine," Harry said, somewhat sarcastically. "Though frankly, I'll be much happier when spring comes and we see more sunshine and less snow."

Lupin chuckled and admitted, "That will make two of us. Getting older, the cold weather isn't so kind to your bones or your health. Take advantage of your youth while you still have it."

"I intend to," Harry pointed out.

"Good on ya, Harry," Lupin said, nodding in satisfaction. He looked up and around the room and said in some amusement, "Good work the girls did on this house, using their skills to turn the Burrow into a suitable and respectable house, not that I was complaining before."

"Riley and Aria did an incredible job," Harry agreed, nodding. "Everything is so detailed here, so well-done, it's hard to believe that it was Riley and Aria who put so much effort and thought into it, that _they're _the ones who made it almost from scratch, with the help of magic, of course."

"Not that hard to believe, really," Lupin pointed out, shaking his head. "Not when you think about it."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, tilting his head to the side in slight confusion as he waited for an explanation.

Lupin frowned and began to explain, "Well, you look at their personalities. Riley lives very big, doesn't take anything for granted. Her desire to help others would lead her to want to do the very best, to create something for the Weasleys that would not only show her gratitude for letting them live here, but that would be more than they would ever need and would also allow them to be proud of their house in public, that they could stand up to even the Malfoys, for example.

"Aria, likewise, is also interested in helping others, but tends to pay more attention to detail. She would be determined to make everything perfect, to make sure that nothing goes wrong. Riley's determination and Aria's detail would work together very well to create something grand, especially something like a house."

"I guess," Harry admitted, seeing the truth in Lupin's words. He felt happy to be talking to his teacher again, one of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts that he had ever had. Lupin had taught them a great many things, the kinds of which only Moody and Snape had dared to rival in both quantity and quality. Finally, Harry voiced a question that had been plaguing him for a few days. "What have you been up to lately?"

"Oh, I've been underground," said Lupin. "Almsot literally. that's why I haven't able to write, Harry; seding letters to you would have been something of a giveaway."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been living among my fellows, my equals," said Lupin. "Werewolves," he added at Harry's look of incomprehension. "Nearly all of them are on Voldemort's side. Dumbledore wanted a spy in there and here I was... ready-made."

He sounded a little bitter, and perhaps realized it, for he smiled more warmly as he went on, "I am not complaining; it is neccesary work and who can do it better than I? However, it has been difficult gaining their trust. I bear the unmistakable signs of having tried to live among wizards, you see, whereas they have shunned normal society and live on the margins, stealing - and sometimes killing - to eat."

"How come they like Voldemort?"

"They think that, under his rule, they will have a better life," said Lupin. "And it is hard to argue with Greyback out there..."

"Who is Greyback?"

"You haven't heard of him?" Lupin's hands closed convulsively in his lap. "Fenrir Greyback is, perhaps, the most savage werewolf alive today. he regards at his mission in life to bite and to contaminate as many people as possible; he wants to create enough werewolves to overcome the wizards. Voldemort has promised him prey in return for his services. Greyback specializes in children... Bite them young, he says, and raise them away from their parents, raise them to hate normal wizards. Voldemort has threatened to unleash him upon people's sons and daughters; it is a threat that usually produces good results."

"That's horrible!" Harry exclaimed, twisting his face in disgust. "To bite innocent kids..."

"It may be unfair, but Greyback has never really cared about fairness," a snide voice spoke from behind Harry.

Harry turned his head and blinked in surprise when he saw Riley standing in the doorway, leaning against it with one shoulder while her hands rested in her jeans pockets. Her eyes were glued to Harry, a calm and blank expression on her face. "Riley," Harry said, not bothering to hide his surprise. "I didn't realize you were here."

"You know of Greyback, I take it?" Lupin asked, looking at Riley through slightly narrowed eyes.

Riley nodded and said, "Last year, for the month or so before school began, Dumbledore asked Aria and I to watch over the streets of London, around where we were living, because he knew that we were Animagi and could handle ourselves among the witches and wizards, even in those forms. We had a lot of trouble with them, but the most re-occurring problem was Greyback, trying to get into houses and bite the children. Believe me, I have quite a few scars on my body because of that bastard."

"I don't see any scars other than -" Harry began, only to stop speaking immediately when he realized how awkward his comment was coming out. He did his best not to bring up her scars from Malfoy, but in cases like this, it was hard not to mention them.

Riley smirked at Harry with an amused look in her eyes as she said, "Well, Harry, that's because quite a few of them are in in places you will never see." When Harry blushed, still looking confused, she rolled her eyes and said, "Greyback has sharp claws. Get the point?"

"Yes," Harry said, looking down in embarrassment.

"Riley is right about Greyback being a bastard," Lupin said, nodding. "In fact, it was Greyback that bit me."

Harry looked over at Lupin in astonishment. "What? When - when you were a kid, you mean?"

"Doesn't surprise me," Riley said in a dismissive tone. "He's bitten so many kids that he could populate his own country with werewolf spawn." She blinked in alarm and said quickly, "No offense."

Lupin shook his head and waved a hand dismissively as he said, "None taken. My father had offended him. I didn't know, for a very long time, the ientity of the werewolf who had attacked me. I even felt pity for him, thinking that he had no control, knowing by then how it felt to transform. but Greyback is not like that. At the full moon, he positions himself close to victims, ensuring that he is near enough to strike. He plans it all. And this is the man Voldemort is using to marshal the werewolves. I cannot pretend that my particular brand of reasoned argument is making much headway against Greback's insistence that we werewolves deserve blood, that we ought to revenge ourselves on normal people."

"But you are normal!" Harry said fiercely. "You've just got a - a problem -"

Lupin suddenly burst out laughing, and Riley couldn't prevent an amused smile from coming to her face. Lupin shook his head and said, "Sometimes you remind me a lot of James. He called it my 'furry little problem' in company. Many people were under the impression that I owned a badly behaved rabbit."

Harry hesitated before looking back at Riley and asking, "Have you ever met any werewolves other than Lupin?"

Riley nodded and admitted, "Yes. Several, in fact. Back at Silvergates, we had a few. One night, one of them transformed and went crazy, bit like five people. Three of them stayed at school because Slater offered to ensure that they got the potions and help they needed in order to function normally and not be discovered by the general public as werewolves."

"Wait a minute," Harry said, even more confused. "If it wasn't public knowledge, how did _you _find out?"

Riley raised an eyebrow at him with a surprised look. "Wolf, Harry," she said, the surprise in her voice. "You seem to keep forgetting that I'm a wolf, can smell the chance in people when they transform, and believe me, werewolves stink a whole lot worse than most humans."

"Hey!" Lupin exclaimed, looking at Riley in disbelief. "Now _that _I take offense at."

Riley grinned playfully at Lupin and said, "Don't knock the truth, no matter how offensive."

Lupin scowled, only to look at Harry and say, "There is a definite difference in smell, and anyone with a sense of smell as strong as a dog or cat, for instance, would be able to tell, even from a distance."

Harry looked over at Riley again and asked in disbelief, "How is that you know all of this?"

"All of what?" Riley asked, looking in each way as she shrugged cluelessly.

"About werewolves and vampires and stuff," Harry explained.

Riley rolled her eyes and explained, "Oh, that. Well, there were a few vampires and werewolves at our school. The discretion of their specialness was assured as long as some of the more talented witches and wizards made sure that they lived as normally as possible. Slater appointed me in charge of two of the vampires, just like Aria was in charge of a werewolf, so I got a hang on how vampires act and live."

"You sure seem like you know a lot," Harry said, looking at Riley uncertainly. "If I didn't know better, I would have guessed that you are some character from a story, designed to be perfect in every way."

Riley scoffed, rolling her eyes as she shook her head and said, "I'm nowhere near perfect, Harry. In fact, much further from being perfect and I'd be the exact opposite."

"You don't act or look like it," Harry pointed out.

Riley narrowed her eyes, the darkness in them growing and the coldness almost causing Harry to shudder. Her voice went serious as she turned around and said, "Hopefully, you'll never have to see that side." With that, she walked off out of the room in silence.

* * *

A/N: BUM! BUM! BUM! Lol, no, this isn't the dramatic part of the story, just a little teaser, and it explains which werewolf Riley and Aria ran into during the Prologue of my Second story (number five)


	28. Chapter 28: Paths That Cross

A/N: Yes, I'm aware that this chapter didn't actually take place until after Ron got poisoned, which occurred in the story during March, but I want this memory to show up before something happens in two chapters, and you will probably understand it after you read it. It messes with some stuff, but oh well. That's what these fanfics are about, right? And I know that this is going to piss some people off because it's so 'Mary-suish', but whatever. I'm sick of people commenting all of the time on how perfect the characters seem to be before the story unravels itself, so I'm going to ask people to hold back on their criticisms, unless constructive, until the end of the story, because most of the information in this chapter will have to do with the storyline. Thank you for your patience. Please R&R. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-eight: Paths That Cross

* * *

"Harry," Dumbledore said uncomfortably. "I wasn't going to show you a particular memory for a while, but I feel a strange urgency to show it to you, one that I cannot explain even to myself. It's not that anyone will die yet if I don't, at least I don't believe so, but I feel compelled to show them to you now."

It had been over a month since Harry's conversation with Lupin and Riley. They had only been back at school for four days, and already Dumbledore had scheduled for a lesson together. Harry had tried to talk with Riley about her ominous comment from before, but she'd managed to skillfully dodge Harry every time the subject had come up. And now, here he was, in Dumbledore's office and preparing for another earth-shattering discovery about Voldemort and his past.

"Okay, Professor," Harry said nervously. "Is there something different about this memory? More so than the others?"

"Oh, you might say that," Dumbledore said in his carefree tone. "But it's more than that, Harry. This memory will explain a great deal to you, more than you would have guessed could have been possible."

"All right," Harry said uneasily, but wasn't sure that he was prepared for this. After all, Dumbledore was acting very mysterious, and that was usually a sign that something was about to shock Harry out of his shoes.

Dumbledore looked at Harry with a faint smile and said, "And now it is time to hear from Hokey the house-elf, who worked for a very old, very rich witch by the name of Hepzibah Smith. Also, I think this is the first time where you will find that your path, as well as that of your friend, Miss O'Malley, will cross."

"Sir?" Harry asked in surprise, looking at Dumbledore as though he was mad.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he said wistfully, "You are about to learn some news that Miss O'Malley has only recently discovered."

"Riley?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore said, nodding. "You will find that there are some things I have to teach you that they already know. You will understand today even more, though I doubt you will ever fully understand what Miss O'Malley knows." He smiled slightly and said, "Although, I admit that this is the more _desirable _way of learning about some of the truths that Miss O'Malley knows." When Harry didn't look any less confused," Dumbledore admitted, "It's nothing that I can explain, Harry, something that only she would understand." He nodded to the Pensieve and said, "Go ahead."

Harry got to his feet and bent over the rippling silver contents of the sotne basin until his face touched them.

* * *

He tumbled through dark nothingness and landed in a sitting room in front of an immensely fat old lady wearing an elaborate ginger wig and a brilliant pink set of robes that flowed all around her, giving her the look of a melting iced cake. She was looking into a small jeweled mirror and dabbing rogue onto her already scarlet cheeks with a large powder puff, while the tiniest and oldes thouse-elf Harry had ever seen laced her fleshy feet into tight satin slippers.

"Hurry up, Hokey!" said Hepzibah imperiously. "He said he'd come at four, it's only a couple of minutes to and he's never been late yet!" She tucked away her powder puff as the house-elf straightened up. The top of the elf's head barely reached the seat of Hepzibah's chair, and her papery skin hung off her frame just like the crisp linen sheet she wore draped like a toga. "How do I look?"

"Lovely, madam," squeaked Hokey.

Harry could only assume that it was down in Hokey's contract that she must lie through her teeth when asked this question, because Hepzibah looked a long way from lovely in his opinion.

A twinkling doorbell rang and both mistress and elf jumped.

"Quick, quick, he's here, Hokey!" cried Hepzibah and the elf scurried out of the room, which was so crammed with objects that it was difficult to see how anybody could navigate their way across it without knocking over at least a dozen things. There were cabinets full of little lacquered boxes, cases full of gold-embossed books, shelves of orbs and celestial globes, and many flourishing potted plants in brass containers. In fact, the room looked like a cross between a magical antique shop and a conservatory.

The house-elf returned within minutes, followed by a tall man Harry had no difficulty whatsoever in recognizing as Voldemort. He was plainly dressed in a black suit, his hair was a little longer than it had been at school and his cheeks were hollowed, but all of this suited him; he looked more handsome than ever. He picked his way through the cramped room with an air that showed he had visited many times before and bowed low over Hepzibah's fat little hand, brushing it with his lips.

"I brought you flowers," he said quietly, producing a bunch of roses from nowhere.

"You naughty boy, you shouldn't have!" squealed old Hepzibah, though Harry noticed that she had an empty vase standing ready on the nearest little table. "You do spoil this old lady, Tom... Sit down, sit down... Where's Hokey? Ah..."

The house-elf had come dashing back into the room carrying a tray of little cakes, which she set at her mistress's elbow.

"Help yourself, Tom," said Hepzibah. "I know how you love my cakes. Now, how are you? You look pale. They overwork you at that shop. I've said it a hundred times..." Voldemort smiled mechanically and Hepzibah simpered. "Well, what's your excuse for visiting this time?" she asked, batting her lashes.

"Mr. Burke would like to make an improved offer for the goblin-made armor," said Voldemort. "Five hundred Galleons, he fells it is more than fair -"

"Now, now, not so fast, or I'll think you're only here for my trinkets," pouted Hepzibah.

"I am ordered here because of them," said Voldemort quietly. "I am only a poor assistant, madam, who must do as he is told. Mr. Burke wishes me to inquire -"

"Oh, Mr. Burke, phooey!" said Hepzibah, waving a little hand. "I've got something to show you that I've never shown Mr. Burke! Can you keep a secret, Tom? Will you promise you won't tell Mr. Burke I've got it? He'd never let me rest if he knew I'd shown it to you, and I'm not selling it, not to Burke, not to anyone! But you, Tom, you'll appreciate it for its history, not how many Galleons you can get for it."

"I'd be glad to see anything Miss Hepzibah shows me," said Voldemort quietly, and Hepzibah gave another girlish giggle.

"I had Hokey bring it out for me... Hokey, where are you? I want to show Mr. Riddle our finest treasure... In fact, bring both, while you're at it."

"Here, madam," squeaked the house-elf, and Harry saw two leather boxes, one on top of the other, moving across the room as if of their own volition, though he knew the tiny elf was holding them over her head as she made her way between tables, pouffes and footstools.

"Now," said Hepzibah happily, taking the boxes from the elf, laying them in her lap, and preparing to open the topmost one, "I think you'll like this, Tom... Oh, if my family knew I was showing you... They can't wait to get their hands on this!" She opened the lid. Harry edged forward a little to get a better view and saw what looked like a small golden cup with two finely wrought handles. "I wonder whether you know what it is, Tom? Pick it up, have a good look!" whispered Hepzibah, and Voldemort stretched out a long-fingered hand and lifted the cup by one handle out of its snug silken wrappings. Harry thought he saw a red gleam in his dark eyes. His greedy expression was curiously mirrored on Hepzibah's face, except that her tiny eyes were fixed upon Voldemort's handsome features, not the goblet she was showing him.

"A badger," murmured Voldemort, examining the engraving upon the cup. "Then this was..."

"Helga Hufflepuff's, as you very well know, you clever boy!" said Hepzibah, leaning forward with a loud creaking of corsets and actually pinching his hollow cheek. "Didn't I tell you I was distantly descended? This has been handed down in the family for years and years. Lovely, isn't it? And all sorts of powers it's supposed to possess, too, but I haven't tested them thoroughly, I just keep it nice and safe here..." She hooked the cup back off Voldemort's long forefinger and restored it gently to its box, too intent upon settling it carefully back into position to notice the shadow that crossed Voldemort's face as the cup was taken away. "Now then," said Hepzibah happily. "Where's Hokey? Oh yes, there you are. Take that away now, Hokey."

The elf obediently took the boxed cup, and Hepzibah turned her attention to the much flatter box in her lap.

"I think you'll like this even more, Tom," she whispered. "Lean in a little, dear boy, so you can see... Of course, Burke knows I've got this one, I bought it from him, and I daresay he'd love to get it back when I'm gone..." She slid back the fine filigree clasp and flipped open the box. There upon the smooth crimson velvet lay a heavy golden locket. Voldemort reached out his hand, without invitation this time, and held it up to the light, staring at it.

"Slytherin's mark," he said quietly as the light played upon an ornate, serpentine S.

"That's right!" said Hepzibah, delighted, apparently, at the sight of Voldemort gazing at her locket, transfixed. "I had to pay an arm and a leg for it, but I couldn't let it pass, not a real treasure like that, had to have it for my collection. Burke bought it, apparently, from a ragged-looking women who seemed to have stolen it, but had no idea of its true value -" There was no mistaking it this time: Voldemort's eyes flashed scarlet at the words, and Harry saw his knuckles whiten on the locket's chain. "- I daresay Burke paid her a pittance but there you are... Pretty, isn't it? And again, all kinds of powers attributed to it, though I just keep it nice and safe..." She reached out to take the locket back. For a moment, Harry thought Voldemort was not going to let go of it, but then it slid through his fingers and was back in its red velvet cushion.

"Now, did you enjoy that, Tom?" Hepzibah asked, looking at Voldemort with a pleasant smile.

"Oh, quite," Voldemort said, looking thoroughly thrown.

Hepzibah looked a little unnerved and upset as she looked at Voldemort, and asked with concern, "Are you all right, Tom?"

"Yes, Miss Hepzibah," Voldemort said, brightening somewhat to his polite self as he looked up at Hepzibah. "I was just a little surprised, that's all. After all, Slytherin was my home for so long, and to hold that locket..." His voice trailed off, and Harry got the feeling that there was more to what he was thinking and feeling than what he was saying aloud, but if Hepzibah had similar suspicions, she sure didn't show it.

Hepzibah let out a laugh, suddenly like a little girl again, and she said cheerfully, "Oh, of course. I can imagine, young TOm." Her eyes shadowed over and she said wistfully, "Then again, Slytheirn was a very interesting fellow, wasn't he? Had his own trove of secrets that must have been passed down through his heirs."

"Ma'am?" Voldemort asked, narrowing his eyes at Hepzibah suspiciously.

Hepzibah looked at Voldemort with something of a delighted smile, like a cat eying a fresh, warm mouse that was just within its reach and waiting for attack. "DOn't you know, Tom?" she asked, sounding surprised, even delighted. "I would have thought that someone who enjoys history, especially that of Hogwarts, would know." She tilted her head to the side with a look of dismissal and said, "I guess it's to be expected. Not many knew, after all. Even the majority of the most prestigious of Purebloods don't know the truth. Still, it was told throughout my family's history, and so of course I know."

"What truth?" Voldemort asked, clearly trying to hide his impatience, though his eyes showed just how badly he wanted to know what she was talking about.

Hepzibah leaned over, looking Voldemort in the eye as she said with a smirk, "There are two lines of Slytherins."

"What do you mean?" Voldemort asked immediately, his voice dark and almost accusing as he stared at Hepzibah. There was no denying the anger that flashed in his eyes, though it seemed that Hepzibah didn't see it. "I thought -"

Hepzibah interrupted Voldemort and began to explain, "Rowena Ravenclaw had a younger sister, a half-sister born three years after Rowena, to a mistress. Her name was Rona, a beautiful and talted young girl. Almost identical in appearances, Rona was dismissed from her school of learning when she was in her first year, expelled for murder."

"'Murder'?" Voldemort asked, sitting up and looking at Hepzibah with a new interest in his eyes. "Really? A Ravenclaw capable of murder?"

Hepzibah smiled sickly, clearly pleased that she now had Voldmoert's full attention. She nodded and said, "Oh yes. It seems that the girl was a Parstlemouth, and commanded a snake to attack another student, killing him. No one knows for sure whether or not it was accidental or premeditated."

"A Pureblood Parstletongue?" Voldemort asked with clear interest.

"Oh yes," Hepzibah said, nodding. "Quite so. It seems that when she was expelled from this school - and rightfully so - she went without a wand until she became of age. After she had her wand returned to her, she and Salazar Slytherin - who had abandoned his friends at Hogwarts - and they began to build a school there, along with some of their other friends. However, it seems that within a few years of having founded the school, she disappeared without a trace, only for a young girl, the spitting image of Rona, to appear at Hogwarts almost twelve years later."

"A _daughter?_" Voldemort suggested, sounding even more intrigued. "Are you saying that Slytherin and this Rona Ravenclaw had a _child _together?"

"Oh, yes," Hepzibah said, nodding in agreement. "Now, there's no way to be one hundred percent sure, because the girl never went by a last name, but it's common knowledge that an heirloom was passed down from girl to girl in the Ravenclaw family."

"Really?" Voldemort asked, raising a slender eyebrow with interest. "And what heirloom would this be?"

"A ring," Hepzibah said with a smirk. This seemed to catch Voldemort's attention, and Hepzibah continued to say, "A silver band, similar to a wedding ring, one might think, but it is, in fact, etched with a secret language, one that no one has been able to decipher."

"How interesting," Voldemort said with a smile, and then asked with a serious frown, "So you're saying that there could be a second line of Salazar Slytherin's children out there?"

"Exactly," Hepzibah said, nodding. "I haven't done much searching of my own, but in my own opinion, I don't believe that Salazar knew about this second line."

"Why do you say that?" Voldemort asked with a frown.

"For several reasons," Hepzibah said with a small smile. "To start with, a man of Salazar's character would never have been caught in the public eye having a child with a woman he wasn't married to, as was the mindset of the time. He was a proud man, and I believe that if he had known Rona was pregnant, he would have married her, not let her leave and have the child on her own. Secondly, because of his fame, I believe that the child would have been brought up in the light of the wizarding world, raised as a prodigy in the way that his later children were."

"Interesting thesis," Voldemort said with a slick smile, his eyes narrowed.

* * *

All of a sudden, Harry's head suddenly flung out of the Pensieve, and he looked around in alarm at Dumbledore, who was standing nearby with his hands folded in front of him and a patient look on his face as he looked at Harry. "Sir?" Harry panted, feeling extremely overwhelmed and confused.

"Confused?" Dumbledore asked, with a small smile, his eyes twinkling. "I should be surprised if you weren't. It's understandable, as this will be the one memory that will hit home to you more than any other." He ran his right hand fingers through the liquid in the Pensive and stared at it as he said, "Voldemort searched for years after that incident, looking for the descendants of Rona Ravenclaw, and the ring that Hepzibah told him about. He yearned to know if Hepzibah was correct about a second line of Slytherins, especially a line that was mixed with the pure and superior blood of the Ravenclaws. However, he found none, and I doubt that to this very day, he knows where the last one is alive and thriving, protected by forces he will never be able to penetrate.

"Wait," Harry began, shaking his head in confusion. "Does that mean..."

"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore said, looking at Harry with a small smile. "Voldemort is not the only living heir of Slytherin, as he believes. No, the blood of Salazar Slytherin once again walks through the halls of Hogwarts, but this time, it's in the form of one of your best friends."


	29. Chapter 29: Two Secret Meetings

Chapter Twenty-nine: Two Secret Meetings

Riley walked into Dumbledore's office, a serious frown on her face as she looked around. Her eyes fell upon a shelf high above her head, where she saw what she reocnigzed to be the Sorting Hat, sitting there and not moving. She stared at it for several moments in complete silene, only for it to suddenly stir and come to life after a minute of nothing happening.

"Do you have something to say to me?" the hat asked impatiently. "Or are you just going to stand there and glare at me with such contempt?"

"Why did you put me in Slytherin?" Riley asked, staring seriously at the hat.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" the hat asked curiously.

"Yes," Riley admitted as she took a few steps closer. "But that's not why you did it, is it? What a preson wants and who they really are aren't always necessarily the same thing. Your job is to place people in the Houses that bring the most potential out of them, that suit their character and personality best. You should know that better than anyone."

"You're right," the hat said wisely. "On both accounts."

"Then why?" Riley asked, narrowing her eyes a little. "Why did you put me in Slytherin?"

"You know the answer to that question already," the hat said, looking down at Riley with a serious look.

Riley hesitated, and then said darkly, "You knew, didn't you? You knew about me, about my blood and herritage."

"Oh yes," the hat said coldly. "I saw it when I looked into your mind. I saw your mother, those brains and talents that you possesed, and she did, too. I saw your ring, and I saw Silvergates. Then I saw Rona, a clever ad brilliant woman. Much like her sister, that one. Both brilliant, but Rona was different."

"'Different'?" Riley asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at the hat. Her voice remained steady and even, barely showing her suspicion or interest. "Different how?"

The hat chuckled and said, "She did spells, charms and potions that Rowena never would have allowed herself to try. Rowena held back, bound by certain laws that an ordinary witch or wizard would have followed. Rona gave her everything in what she did, refused to be bound by the laws of normal witches and wizards. If she wanted something, she would stop at nothing to get it. Rules meant nothing to her. If something was to be achieved, it was achieved at any cost. Beautiful, brilliant, and talented, but also determined and cunning with a sense of reckless dare to her. That was why she and Salazar made such a wonderful pair."

"They were together," Riley said knowingly. "A couple. But not for long."

"No, not for long," the hat agreed. "Not manhy people knew about their relationship, because it lasted less than a year. When Rona disappeared suddenly, it was thought that she was killed and her body disposed of in secret. After all, no one, not even Salazar, knew what had happened. Brilliant boy himself, but not too bright when it came to ROna." The hat eyed Riley and asked, "Do you know what happened to her?"

"She died," Riley said, narrowing her eyes even more up at the hat. "She died protecting her daughter, Resa Ravenclaw, from being exposed after a man began to make the connection."

"Yes," the hat said quietly, but with interest. "Oh yes, Resa. I remember that girl very well. She came to Hogwarts when she was in her third year, fell into Slytheirn. That was the beginning of the Ravenclaw division."

"'Division'?" Riley asked, raising one eyebrow slightly. "Meaning?"

"All of Rowena's descendants were put into her own House," the hat explained. "All of Rona's, however, fell into Slytherin. Resa never went by her last name, but I knew. Anyone who had evers een Rona as a teenager and adult couldn't have denied that Resa was related to her, yet no one ever made the connection,. Byt he time Resa had joined Hogwarts, Salazar was dead and there was a second line of heirs."

"The ones that led to Volemort," Riley said knowingly. "The ones that led to the Gaunts."

"Don't use his name!" the hat yelled. "Don't you dare use the name of You-Know-Who!"

"Why don't you come down here and make me stop then?" Riley asked daringly.

The hat narrowed its eyes at Riley, and said with a sneer. "Oh yes, I selected the right House for you. You are so much like your mother, like Rona. You have the same look in your eyes, the same need for defiance, for rebellion. You're one of the smartest witches in the school, yet your brain is tempted by your emotions and impulses, qualities that will drive you to do the unthinkable if it means success and victory. You have done things, terrible things, that would make the blood of any student in this school curdle." Riley narrowed her eyes darkly up at the hat, unbeknownced (A/N: I have no idea whatsoever of how to spell that word, so I'm sure it's wrong) to Riley that she looked more like a Dark witch and her mother than ever. The hat continued to sneer, "That is very much a quality that was passed down from Salazar. I can see him in you, just as I saw him in You-Know-Who."

"I'm nothing like Voldemort," Riley said in a low, dark voice. "He may be my twenty-third cousin or whatever, but we're nothing alike."

"Oh?" the hat asked with fake interest. "Did I misread your mind? Have you always fought on the side of good? Are you willing to stray from all forms of Dark magic on principal and morals?" When Riley didn't answer, he sneered, "Or do you whatever you need to in order to succeed, no matter how it gets done and what price must be paid?"

"I will stop at nothing to protect my friends," Riley said coldly. "I would never use my abilities for self-gain the way that Voldemort does."

"And so the Ravenclaw and Slytherin bloodline falls to you," the hat said, raising its tip to a high and looking down at Riley with a firm gaze. "You-Know-Who has no children, nor will he ever. You are the only remaining heiress to the Ravenclaw and Slytherin line. After ROna died, there was never more than one child born to her descendants, until your generation, that is. Yet even in this anomoly, you are the only one who will have the chance to pass on the line. Rowena's daughter died, ending that end of the bloodline, leaving Rona's as the only one that will ever carry on the Ravenclaw blood. You are all that's left of both legacies." The hat narrowed its eyes and said, "You'd better stay alive long enough to keep that bloodline going."

"Believe me," Riley said in a dark voice. "I will."

* * *

The room was dark. A man stood in the center of the room, his hands folded his behind his back. Through the darkness, Voldemort's red eyes could be seen, or they would have been if anyone had been there to see them. He stood alone, but as he pulled his wand out of his robes, he pointed it to the air and said, "Come, my faithful servants."

There was a bright glow from the tip of the wand, and within a few moments, a whistling sound could be heard, one that quickly turned into a rushing sound as body after body suddenly appeared from the darkness. Within moments, thirteen bodies stood present, all formed in a circle with their hands folded behind their backs and their heads lowered reverently to Voldemort.

"My friends," Voldemort said as he circled his group of followers. "We are weak." He could sense the ripple of surprise, fear and confusion in his followers. He continued to say, "We are stronger than we have been in over a decade, yes, but we are still weak. Our forces grow every day, yet we are still in need of more power, more talent within our ranks. We need more Death Eaters to strengthen the fold. Only then will we be able to take on Dumbledore's pathetic followers with success."

"M'lord?" a quiet, but sincere voice said from the crowd.

Voldemort rolled his eyes and turned his head, annoyance burning inside of him like none other. "Yes, Draco?" The truth was that he had no interest in hearing anything that this boy had to say, only wanted to see the light in Lucius's eyes drain as his son died in the service of a wizard who he himself had failed to serve.

"I have news for you, M'lord," Draco said, his head still bowed reverently. "I have an idea as to how you may get another valuable Death Eater."

"Really?" Voldemort asked, his interest growing slightly. He walked toward the boy and said, "Stand up, and come forward. Let us hear your idea."

Draco stood up and faced Voldemort, taking a step inward. Voldemort sensed surprise among the other Death Eaters. Clearly, none of them had expected the boy, usually so timid and obediant, to make a forward statement such as this.

Draco raised his head and said in a serious voice, "I know of a person that would be a great asset to our ranks, whose presence with the Death Eaters would not only strengthen our forces, but would cripple the other side morally."

"Really?" Voldemort asked, his interest growing yet. "And who is this special person to whom you show such an interest in."

Draco smirked and said, "The last heiress of the Slytherin and Ravenclaw bloodline. Riley O'Malley."


	30. Chapter 30: The Second Mark

Chapter Thirty: The Second Mark

Riley closed her eyes and smiled as she drank in the scents of the fresh air outside of Hogwarts. It was her free period, and she was taking advantage of the fact by going for a walk by herself. She'd decided to leave her bags and books behind while she went on her walk. She continued walking away from the school, wanting to be as far away as possible. She wanted to be free of all thoughts, of all responsibilities, and to have some freedom before returning to classes. As she walked further and further away from the school, far beyond the sight of even Hagrid's house, Riley had a sense that there was someone else close by. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously when she saw who was standing close to fifty feet away from her.

"Bellatrix," Riley whispered, her blood boiling in her veins and pulsing in her head.

Bellatrix began to slink backward, a taunting look in her eyes. "I killed the Black Ravens!" she yelled, turning around and running away from the castle. "I killed the O'Malleys!"

"Bellatrix!" Riley yelled as she began to run forward toward Bellatrix, who continued to run. Suddenly, Riley was unable to think. She was running faster than ever, only one thing on her mind: killing Bellatrix. She suddenly couldn't think, couldn't see anything around her. She didn't even notice as she grew further and further away from Hogwarts, even as she ran out of the school limits.

Then, Bellatrix stopped and spun around. Thinking that she finally had a chance, Riley withdrew her wand, only to get blindsided by a spell that sent her flying through the air and back to the ground. Riley shook her head as she began to get to her hands and knees, dizzy and confused. She could hear Bellatrix's menacing laugh, and as she looked up, Riley saw with alarm that Death Eaters were closing in all around her. Riley recognized Dolohov, Bellatrix, Greyback and a woman named Cecile.

"What's going on?" Riley demanded, spinning around and looking at all of the Death Eaters that surrounded her.

"I would have thought that would be clear," Bellatrix sneered. "Or is the baby girl no longer thinking like the big boys and girls do? And here I thought she was the savior of wee Potter's friends, the only one who could stand up and protect them."

"Enough taunting, Bellatrix," Greyback growled, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Riley. "We don't have time to play with the girl. We have a job to do."

"Shame," Bellatrix said in a mopey voice, looking at me with a childish-sad eyes. "And here I was hoping to have fun with the baby girl before lights go out."

"Greyback," Riley said in a low growl, looking at the werewolf with pure contempt and hatred in her eyes. "Been some time since we've seen each other."

"O'Malley," Greyback growled, narrowing his eyes resentfully at Riley. "I can't wait for this to be over. Then, I'll be able to walk the London streets and feed as I like without worrying about you and the black-haired pest!"

"Never!" Riley spat. "It's going to take a lot more than the four of you to kill me."

"Who ever said we wanted to _kill _you?" Bellatrix laughed in her madness. "Though, it wouldn't displease me to do that, either. However, the Dark Lord has _other _plans for you."

"_Other plans?_" Riley asked, not liking the sounds of that.

"Enough taunting, Bella."

Riley's eyes widened in alarm, and yet hardened with anger as she recognized a person step from behind the circle of Death Eaters. Draco Malfoy walked forward and joined the circle, his wand raised and aimed right at Riley, his gaze calm and unbending.

"Draco," Riley said, her eyes narrowed in dislike at Draco as he drew closer to the Death Eaters. "I can't believe you're involved in this."

"'Involved'?" Bellatrix laughed. "It was _his _idea!"

Riley glared at Draco through blazing eyes and said, "You've made your decision, huh? You've chosen your side."

"That's right," Draco said calmly, looking at Riley through an even gaze. "Riley, you're going to get the chance to choose your fate for yourself without any of those pesky friends of yours standing in the way."

"Drop dead," Riley muttered. She suddenly lashed out with her wand, pointing it at Bellatrix. "But first, we'll start with you. Cru-"

"It's time for you to wake up!" Draco yelled at the exact same moment, lashing his wand out at Riley. "_Obliviate!_" There was a bright flash of blinding red light that shot from Draco's wand and hit Riley in the head before she could finish casting her spell. Riley was flung backward several feet. She hit the ground hard, her body completely still.

Bellatrix let out a hysterical laughter, throwing her head back and voice cackling as she laughed. Greyback drew his lips back in a pleased sneer. Malfoy just stared through calm, clear eyes. The rest of the Death Eaters watched in silence, as though none of them cared one way or another.

There was a sudden gust of wind from behind the Death Eaters. They all turned around to see Voldemort suddenly standing in the clearing, his eyes focused on them. His eyes moved from the Death Eaters to Riley's body, the curiosity in his eyes changing to sick pleasure.

"You succeeded," Voldemort said in a calm voice as he looked at the body.

"Yes, m'lord," Draco said, nodding to Voldemort.

"When will she become conscious?" Voldemort asked, his eyes rested on Riley's body.

"In a minute or so," Draco answered quickly. "When she comes to, she will have no memory, other than the ones you told me to keep."

"Very good," Voldemort said, nodding in satisfaction.

A moment later, Riley's eyes and fingers visibly twitched, and a few moments after that, she began to stir. "What..." Riley rasped, looking up at the Death Eaters through squinted, confused eyes. "What happened to me?" She hesitated, and then asked, "Who am I? Who are all of you?"

"My name is Lord Voldemort," Voldemort said in a silky tone as he walked closer to Riley. He extended a hand out to Riley, but she didn't take it at first. He gave his slick version of a smile and said, "But all of my followers and friends call me 'the Dark Lord'."

"The Dark Lord?" Riley asked, shaking her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You're a witch, Riley," Voldemort said. "In the same way that I am a wizard." Draco noticed Riley's panicked look, and after a moment, Voldemort said, "You're among friends, Riley."

"Who..." Riley began, looking around in obvious fear. "I don't understand. What is going on? Why don't I know who I am? Or who any of you are?"

"I'll explain," Voldemort said, smiling down at Riley. "Your name is Riley O'Malley. You're eighteen-years-old and one of two remaining descendants of the second greatest wizard of all time, Salazar Slytherin. I am his other heir."

"We're _related?_" Riley asked, sounding surprised and a little weirded out.

Voldemort nodded and said, "From a long distance, I guess you could say that."

"Why don't I remember any of this?" Riley asked, confused.

Voldemort stood up straight, retracting his hand as he said, "For the last two years, you have been a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, working as my spy."

Draco frowned, aware that this was the point at which Voldemort intended to start molding her mind, weaving her brain with lies intended to strengthen the trust and loyalty she would feel toward him. While it had been Draco's idea, he still couldn't help but feel amazed at how effective it was, and how easily Voldemort seemed to be able to do it.

"I was a spy?" Riley asked, confused.

Voldemort frowned and said, "That's right, Riley. There is a man who hates me, who seeks to destroy me. His name is Albus Dumbledore. He is a powerful wizard who runs the school and is training his students to become powerful witches and wizards so that one day, he will have any army to destory me and my followers."

"Why would he want to destroy you?" Riley asked, clearly more confused than ever.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes and said, "Because he is afraid that someone with more power will try to overthrow him. He believes that he can control the wizarding world through fear, intimidation and power, and I am the only one who can oppose him."

"How does that involve me?" Riley asked, looking around at all of the Death Eaters uncertainly.

"You are a powerful witch," Voldemort pointed out. "Very powerful."

"Me?" Riley asked, clearly surprised. "But how can I be powerful when I don't even know who I am?"

"Dumbledore feels that you are a threat," Voldemort lied. "He attacked you, erasing your memories in hopes that you would forget all of the spells and be completely vulnerable. Then he could use you and mold you into one of his own soldiers, turning you against your own and use you for himself."

"But I don't know any spells," Riley pointed out.

"I understand," Voldemort said in a silky voice. "That is where I will help you."

"Do you want me to act as a spy again?" Riley asked uncertainly, obviously not keen on the idea.

"No," Voldemort said, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous to send you back there when you are this vulnerable and unprepared. No, it's my intention for you to stay with us and join my rank of Death Eaters."

"'Death Eaters'?" Riley asked, looking afraid. "That doesn't sound good."

"That is what my followers are called," Voldemort said. "You are one of us, Riley. You belong here with us. Stay with us, and you will not only gain back the knowledge that you lost, but you will untap a power within yourself that will make you greater than any witch in this world."

Riley hesitated, and then said uncertainly, "I guess I can do that. You seem nice enough to me."

"Don't make this decision lightly," Voldemort pointed out. "In order to be a Death Eater, you must take the Dark Mark." He pulled out his wand and said, "When you take the Dark Mark, you will permanently tie yourself to me. However, it will set you out apart from all others, claiming that you are mine. No one will be able to rip you away from me again. You will be safe. However, you must obey my orders. You will be my servant, as well as my friend."

"Servant?" Riley asked, clearly not pleased at that idea."

"Serving the Dark Lord is an honor," Bellatrix said as she stepped out from crowd. Draco blinked in surprise when he looked at his aunt, who walked right up to Riley and Voldemort, smirking as she said, "We all serve the Dark Lord out of choice. He rewards us for our service, makes us stronger than any witch or wizard who has ever followed that idiot Dumbledore. He is our friend, our master. To serve him will be the greatest act you will ever make in your life."

"Bella is one of my two best Death Eaters," Voldemort said, looking at Bellatrix with a smile for a moment, before turning his red eyes back to Riley. "I trained her myself, just as I will do with you. You will gain amazing powers and knowledge, and become the most powerful witch in history."

Riley looked up at Voldemort uncertainly and asked, "I won't lose my memories again?"

"I promise," Voldemort said, nodding. "You will stay with me forever."

Riley hesitated, and then said, "If that's the case, then yes." She looked up at Voldemort and looked him in the eye. "I will follow you as a Death Eater."

Voldemort smirked, obviously pleased that his lies and deception had worked. "Then extend your left arm," he said slyly. "And stand up."

Riley began to get to her feet, pulling back her black robes and revealing her bare left arm. Voldemort extended his wand and placed it against Riley's forearm. He began hissing under his breath, and after a moment, there was a bright green light that extended from the tip of his wand into Riley's forearm.

Riley's head suddenly shot back and she let out a scream of pain. Draco flinched, aware of how much pain Riley must be going through. Five months ago, he'd gone through the same initiation. It was very painful, feeling yourself bind with Voldemort for the first time, just as it hurt every time that he commanded them to come to him. What she was feeling right now, it was absolute Dark magic flowing through her veins, addicting and terrifying, painful and yet exhilerating. It was something intended to bind her with Voldemort, as well as get her addicted to a type of magic that would make her want to stay with the Dark Lord forever, longing for just a moment's taste of that power gain. Then again, Draco knew that Riley had the potential to tap the Dark magics herself, and if she did, she could manipulate them in ways that Draco could barely imagine, and didn't exactly want to.

Finally, Voldemort pulled his wand away. Draco could see where the new Dark Mark burned on her arm. Riley lowered her head, panting as her body trembled. Her eyes were wide in shock and lust, just as Draco had predicted. Right now, she was longing for that power that she'd just tasted, and would do almost anything to get it, including stay with Voldemort.

"Mmm," Bellatrix said with an amused look on her face. "You know, I don't think this is an appropriate outfit for a Death Eater. It's too school-y. I know certain Muggles have fantasies about school girls, but this isn't the Muggle world, is it? Now..." She pulled out her wand and gave a wave, waving it over Riley.

Blue light shot from Bellatrix's wand and began spiraling around Riley from head to toe. As it moved from her head down, Riley's clothes began to change, her school robe and uniform changing into a black leather halter top that was very exposive of her chest, was short and exposed about six or seven inches of her stomach, and a low-cut leather miniskirt, black leather gloves that stretched up to her elbows, and a black knee-high leather boots.

"Much better," Bellatrix said with a smirk, folding her arms as she looked at Riley with satisfaction.

Draco stared, wide-eyed in amazement as his eyes ran over Riley. He swallowed hard, trying to control himself as he stared at the new and (in his opinion) approved Riley O'Malley. She looked nothing like she had only a minute ago. Sixty seconds ago, she'd been fighting and prepared to kill every one of them, the same Riley O'Malley that he'd known for years. Now, she not only no longer looked like the Riley O'Malley he'd known for the pst three years, but she looked Dark enough to be one of the Death Eaters. Standing there uncertainly, she didn't seem like the confident young witch he'd known and grown to admire. She was vulnerable, and her mind was already starting to be shaped in ways that would lead her to become a great Death Eater.

"Draco," Voldemort said in an obviously pleased voice. "Give her her wand."

Draco took a moment to process the command. He then stepped forward, walking right up to Riley, who hadn't moved since Bellatrix had changed her clothes, not even to comment on the change. He reached out, extending her wand to her. Riley hesitated before reaching out and taking it in her hand. She looked uncertainly down at the wand, as though uncertain of what to do with it.

Voldemort smiled, obviously pleased as he said, "All right then, let's take our newest recruit home, and then we'll start her training right away." He drew his lips back in a sickly smile as he added, "Now, this battle's _really _about to begin."


	31. Chapter 31: Where Is Riley?

A/N: I am soooooo sorry! I know that it feels like every time I turn around, I'm saying this over and over again, but I really am sorry that I can't update regularly. We keep going back and forth between having internet and not having it, and there are a lot of things going on in my life, emotionally and financially, that are about to drive me nuts. Anyways, I hope there aren't too many people lining up to kill me over the last chapter, but so the story continues, and I hope that everyone will continue to read and REVIEW! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, GOOD _OR_ BAD! thanks, and I hope you enjoy

* * *

Chapter Thirty-one: Where Is Riley?

Fear rose within Aria with each passing second as she made her way down the hallway that led away from Slughorn's classroom. She looked around in each direction, hoping to catch sight of Riley, but to no success. She barely noticed her Gryffindor friends passing by, looking at her as though she was insane, a description Aria felt very close to right now. Her eyes widened in hope when she recognized someone walking down the hallway.

"Professor McGonogall!" Aria called out as she ran toward her professor.

McGonogall stopped and turned to look at Aria in surprise. "Miss Hardwick," she said in surprise. "Is it appropriate to

"Well, manners are the last thing on my mind at the moment," Aria admitted as she came to a stop beside McGonogall. "Have you seen Riley recently? She was supposed to meet me yesterday after my History of Muggles class, but she never showed. I haven't heard from her since, and no one can seem to find her. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and I have been looking for her in every place we could think of, but no one, not even the other professors, can recall having seen her since yesterday afternoon."

"Come to think of it, no, I haven't seen her since yesterday," McGonogall admitted, sounding confused and surprised. "Have you checked with any of the Slytherins? Or with Professor Snape?"

Aria rolled her eyes and admitted, "I spoke with Professor Snape, but he barely gave me the time of day as he _begrudgingly_ told me that it isn't his responsibility to make sure that someone as belligerent and uncontrollable as Riley was remaining in line. Other than that, no Slytherin will give me the time of day. Comes with being a Gryffindor, I guess."

McGonogall narrowed her eyes and said, "Hmmm... Well, I will speak with Professor Snape about his 'responsibilities'. As for the Slytherins – Ah! Perfect timing!"

Aria turned around and blinked in surprise when she recognized Draco Malfoy walking down the hallway with Chad, one of the Slytherin Quidditch players who always seemed to be around Malfoy, and seemed almost as devious.

"Mr. Malfoy," McGonogall said as she walked over to the two Slytherin boys, Aria at her heel. "Mr. Sans. Our timing is remarkable, meeting like this."

"And why is that?" Chad asked, looking between Aria and McGonogall suspiciously.

"Have either of you seen Miss O'Malley since yesterday afternoon?"

"No."

"And you, Mr. Malfoy?" McGonogall asked, changing her attention from Chaz to Malfoy, who didn't look the least bit interested.

"I have no idea where Riley is," Draco said, narrowing his eyes in dislike at McGonogall.

"That isn't what I asked," McGonogall said in a stern, warning voice.

"No," Malfoy said impatiently. "I haven't seen her since yesterday. I've been busy getting the Quidditch team into shape for the upcoming match against Hufflepuff, not that we need much training to beat them.

"Wait a minute," Aria said in surprise. "You're on the Quidditch team again?"

"Well, since Riley's gone, _someone_ had to take her place," Draco said in a disgusted voice as he looked at Aria through narrowed eyes filled with contempt.

"Believe it or not, there are things in this world far more important than Quidditch, Mr. Malfoy," McGonogall said in a stern voice. "Now, I'm going to speak with Professor Snape, but I want you and the other members of Slytherin to keep a close eye out in looking for her. This is very important, Mr. Malfoy."

"My pleasure," Malfoy said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he turned on his heel and walked off with Chad.

"Draco," Aria said as she took several steps closer to Malfoy. He stopped, looking back at her through narrowed eyes filled with surprise. Aria walked up to him, looking him right in the eyes as she said in a low voice, "I know that you care about Riley." Malfoy blinked in surprise, but said nothing as Aria continued to say, "I know you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her. So if you want her to stay alive and well, you'd better

Malfoy narrowed his eyes, ignoring Aria as he turned around and walked off with Chad, not saying another word, and leaving Aria alone with McGonogall. Aria narrowed her eyes in dislike after Malfoy, thinking to herself, _He knows something. He was too quick to be sarcastic and walk off. Something's going on, and I'm going to find out what it is._

* * *

"You've become quite the liar, Draco," Chad said with a smirk as he looked from the doorway that Aria Hardwick and Professor McGonogall disappeared into, to Draco. "They didn't suspect a thing."

"It's just about getting the practice in," Draco said with a smug smile as he stared after the doorway. "They'll spend the next few weeks running around in panic, while Riley is getting the training she needs at home."

"Speaking of which," Chad said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Draco. "How are things with her training coming along?"

"No contact has been made," Draco explained. "It's _his_ orders that she be left alone for forty-eight hours, so that she will be left in confusion and her vulnerability will grow. Then, after forty-eight hours, contact will be made and her training with him will begin."

"So someone will be checking in on her tomorrow?"

"Not _someone_," Draco said with a smirk. "Me."

"How do you plan on getting out of here when the place is so heavily guarded?" Chad asked curiously.

"Easy enough," Draco said, looking at Chad. "I'll just slip out of here in my other form." Chaz smirked knowingly at that, and Draco added, "I'll be back before midnight. No one will ever know the truth."

* * *

"What _the hell_ is going on?"

Aria turned around and blinked in surprise when she saw Fred and George Weasley storming into Dumbledore's office from the stairway, Fred's eyes blazing and concern in George's. Aria was standing among McGonogall, Snape, Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, all of whom were looking over at the newcomers in surprise. Dumbledore had been in the middle of speaking to all of them about the situation, but now he was just looking curiously at Fred as he stormed right over into the middle of the group.

"Fred," Aria said in surprise. "George."

"Mr. Weasley, please be calm," Dumbledore said in a calm, polite voice.

"_Calm?_" Fred exclaimed, louder than Aria had ever heard him scream before. "_How the hell do you expect me to be calm?_"

"Hey," George said as he walked up to Aria, setting a hand on the small of her back while leaning over to kiss her on the forehead. He frowned and said quietly, "We would have been here sooner, but it took us longer than we expected to Apparate here and get past the Aurors and security.

"We got an owl half an hour ago telling us that Riley is missing," Fred said, shaking his head. "Mum wanted to come, too, but we told her to wait behind. Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"It's true," Dumbledore admitted, nodding. "Riley has, indeed, gone missing."

"How could this happen? This is Hogwarts! I thought everyone here, all of the Aurors and extra security, was to make sure that everyone was safe!" Fred yelled angrily. He turned around and glared hatefully at Snape, yelling, "How could _you_ let this happen? You're not only a member of the Order, but you're also the damn Head of her House! You should have noticed when something happened! You should know where she is right now!"

"It is best, Mr. Weasley, not to allow your personal feelings to get in the way of common sense, especially when yelling at me," Snape said in a warning drawl.

"Screw what's best!" Fred yelled even louder. "Riley's missing, and since it's obvious that she isn't on campus, it means that someone must have taken her! _Voldemort_ could have taken her! He could have her now!"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said as he stood up from his chair.

"It's not a jump, sir," George said through serious, narrowed eyes, though his voice was much quieter than Fred's. Aria saw a determination and protectiveness in his eyes that only appeared when he was protecting or defending either Aria, Ginny or Riley, the three girls in his life that he cared most about. It was pure, unwavering determination, and it was at times like these that Aria knew just how much power George really had in him, power that Fred mirrored. "Riley is a powerful witch. Losing her as a warrior to our cause would hurt us greatly, not to mention that her knowledge is incredible, and could be an amazing weapon."

"Riley would never help Voldemort's side out," Ginny argued defensively as she looked at her brother through narrowed eyes. "She was willing to let herself die at the hands of Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix LeStrange last year just to protect Harry from being caught. She would _never_ give in to them."

"But I'm sure that he could find some way to use her knowledge, or extract it from her mind," George pointed out.

"True, I guess," Ginny admitted, nodding.

"That is possible. It is also possible that she wandered outside of the grounds to get something from Hogsmeade without permission, or that she just fell asleep and hasn't woken up and returned. In the meantime, all Aurors and members of the Order will be informed about this unsettling news," Dumbledore said in a reassuring voice. "But I must ask you all to remain calm."

"What do you suggest that we do in the meantime?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes defensively. "Just sit around and do nothing?"

"There's nothing that you can do right now, Harry," Dumbledore said, looking at Harry calmly. "Until we learn more about what, exactly, has happened to Riley, there's nothing any of us can do. We'll just have to wait and see how all of this plays out."

"You mean you want to let Voldemort do whatever he wants to with Riley before we do anything about it?" Fred asked with contempt lacing his voice.

"No," Dumbledore admitted. "But until something happens, there's nothing we can do. As of today, I'm declaring Riley missing from Hogwarts."


	32. Chapter 32: Who Are You?

Chapter Thirty-two: Who Are You?

Draco walked down the hallway of his house, flexing his fingers uncomfortably as he recognized his aunt, Bellatrix, standing down at the end of the hallway. By the way she was leaning up against one of the hall pillars and folding her arm, he could tell that she'd predicted him coming down this way and was waiting for him. Her disgustingly accurate intuition was unnerving to him.

Personally, he didn't like his aunt. He would have sooner drowned her inside of Potter's toilet than work with her, but working for the Dark Lord had some nasty sidenotes, and she was one of them. She hung all over him, thinking that she was his favorite, which wasn't far from the truth, aside from Professor Snape. It was clear that the Dark Lord trusted him above all others, a fact that Bellatrix refused to accept. She believed that because he taught her and let her get away with anything, that she was his favorite. But there was something about Snape that the Dark Lord trusted unconditionally. Personally, Draco didn't like any of them, but he knew that Snape would sacrifice himself for Draco, which annoyed the crap out of Draco, because it meant that he was always watching him, prepared to jump in. However, the fact was that if Draco failed, he would be killed by the Dark Lord, so he was determined that he wouldn't fail, no matter what.

"And where might you be going?" Bellatrix asked, an eyebrow raised.

"It's none of your business," Draco muttered as he passed her.

"The Dark Lord is impressed with your actions recently," Bellatrix said, stopping Draco in his track. He didn't turn to face her, but Draco's eyes narrowed and he glanced to the side, listening. Bellatrix smirked and said, "It was quite brilliant actually, a scheme that you could only have come up with by spending lots of time thinking. It's interesting though that you didn't tell the master about it earlier, though I guess the timing for you couldn't have bee more perfect."

"Meaning?" Draco asked, his voice empty and emotionless.

Bellatrix took a step forward and said. "After all, this was all _your_ idea, and _you're _the one who erased her memory. You're the one who's been reporting to us on the situation at Hogwarts, and on the girl. I just wanted to let you know that the Dark Lord has noticed, and is pleased. Considering your current predicament, with your father and everything, that's good in your favor."

"Whatever," Draco said, craning his neck and popping it. "It's time that people finally realized that I'm serious about my work. I'm not my father, no matter how much I've tried to be." With that, he began to walk away.

"She'll never love you!" Bellatrix yelled out, as though desperately trying to keep him back.

Draco stopped cold, his eyes blazing. He didn't move, other than flexing his fingers in an attempt to remain calm, only to flinch. He felt anger burn within him and anger rise.

Bellatrix smirked, clearly sensing that she'd hit a nerve. "She'll always love that miserable Weasley bloodtraitor." She drew closer to Draco, close enough that she practically touched his back. Her voice was soft and taunting as she whispered, "I know what you want, why you made sure that she remained safe. But she'll never care about you, not when you're lying to her like this, not when every word you say to her, no matter how smooth it may be, is a lie."

"Shut up!" Draco yelled, spinning around and pointing his wand at Bellatrix, thinking at the same time, "_Stupefy_!"

Bellatrix was suddenly hit with the spell and was sent flying back onto the ground. She looked down at her stomach, which had been ripped open by the spell, and she reached down, touching it with her fingertips. She looked at the blood, then looked up at Draco with wild eyes and a laugh to match. Her voice rang throughout the hallway as she laughed, then saying in a dark, teasing voice, "Isn't love grand, Draco? It's blood being spilt and pain worse than death, driving you to madness."

"Like you?" Draco yelled, his eyes ablaze. Bellatrix's eyes flashed and she frowned, pulling her head back a little. Before she had a chance to respond, Draco went on to say angrily, "I've seen you and the Dark Lord, Bellatrix. You follow him and speak to him in a way that makes me want to vomit. You prance around, acting all high and mighty, when you're just as bad off as I am. You know all about the madness, but at least _I've_ got the guts to admit that I'm twisted."

"And how's that working out for you?" Bella spat back darkly. "The only chance you've had to be with the Raven girl is by making her forget everything, even her boyfriend."

Filled with uncontrollable rage, Draco suddenly swung his wand to the side. A huge gash suddenly appeared on Bellatrix's arm and she laughed as she looked up to watch Draco, who was walking away, no longer interested.

As Draco walked away, he forced himself to breathe evenly, feeling himself slowly clam down as he moved. He closed his eyes as he walked, trying to prepare himself for what was coming. When he opened his eyes, he found him at a black door at the end of the hallway. He set a hand against the door, preparing himself. Draco reached down with one hand and turned the doorknob, opening the door.

Draco walked inside of the room and folded his hands behind his back. He saw Riley standing at the far end of the room, looking into a large standing mirror. Her arms were folded and she stood in silence. As Draco stared into the mirror, he could see that her eyes were empty, sightless as she stared.

Draco tilted his head to the side as he looked her up and down. When she'd first arrived and was admitted into the Death Eaters, Bellatrix had changed her outfit. She was now wearing a short black skirt, black high-top boots that came up to her knees, a black strapless shirt that stopped mid-way on her abs so that it revealed most of her stomach, a black cloak that came down to the floor, and black gloves that came back to her elbows, hiding the Dark Mark on her right forearm.

Draco smirked as he looked at her. _Have to give Aunt Bella one thing,_ he thought. _She knows how to dress Riley. _She looked different than at Hogwarts, darker and more dangerous. She looked like a true Slytherin.

"Riley," Draco said, trying hard to keep his voice calm.

Riley turned around and blinked in surprise. "Hello," she said quietly in surprise. "I, I saw you yesterday at the ceremony." She gave him a confused look. "I feel like I should know you, but…"

"We went to school together," Draco said smoothly. "My name is Draco, Draco Malfoy."

Riley smiled gently. "It's nice to meet you, again," she said uncertainly. "I, I haven't received any orders yet. The Dark Lord came by this morning and told me to take it easy for the next few days, and that he would send someone to help me out." She shrugged. "I take it that's you?"

Draco nodded, remembering when the Dark Lord told him that when Riley arrived, she would be his responsibility. The Dark Lord would take very little involvement in her re-training. After she learned the basics again, then he would take over her training, along with Bellatrix.

Riley nodded. "I'm glad. It's nice knowing that someone my own age will be helping me. The people around here won't talk to me, and keep looking at me like they expect me to blow them up. I, I know I'm a witch, but I can't be that big of a threat, can I?"

"Of course you are," Draco said. "You wouldn't be here if you weren't extremely powerful. The Dark Lord only takes in the extremely strong. You should feel honored."

Riley chuckled, visibly relaxing. "I'm not sure that 'honored' is the right term."

Draco smirked. "I guess not. But while I'm here, I'm supposed to help you with your re-training. I'm going to be going over the basics with you. You'll probably find that you remember most of it. I'm going to help you with learning how and when to use the power that you have. Also, you're an animagus, which means that you can turn into a wolf at any time that you want."

"Yes, I realized that," Riley said, looking embarrassed. "I woke up this morning with a tail and four paws. I have to admit that I was surprised, but when I thought about turning back, I did. I spent about ten minutes trying to figure out how to go back and forth, which I can now do whenever I want to. It's just hard when I'm not used to it."

Draco nodded. "I've been trying to figure out how to transfigure myself into an animal, too, but I can't seem to do it."

"What about…" Riley said, trying to thin hard. "What's it called? A, a patronus?"

Draco nodded and said, "Yes, I can. However, I don't think it's time for you to see my patronus. Maybe someday."

Riley nodded. "Mine, or at least I think that's what it is, is a cat, a tiger."

Draco flinched, knowing why her patronus was a tiger. He felt something inside of him spark with pain and anger, but he just said, "We each have a patronus that we have to find within ourselves. They say something about us as individuals."

"And mine?" Riley asked. "What does mine mean? What does a tiger mean to me?"

Draco didn't say anything for several moments, not wanting to answer. It wasn't that he couldn't physically, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Everyone at Hogwarts was under the impression that he was just a rich, hotheaded son of a powerful traitor, but he'd had the ability to sense a person's patronus before they would. He knew what Riley's was, and why it was what it was, but it hurt him to sense it. He refused to admit it to himself, until now.

Riley, seeing that Draco didn't want to answer, said, "I don't know myself. I'm sure that it has something to do with my past, and maybe someday I'll understand it."

"Maybe," Draco said, though he hoped not. He said, "It's time that we began our training. We'll start with the basics. Do you remember any spells?"

Riley shook her head. "No, but I can tell that they're there."

Draco nodded. "Well, draw your wand. I'll see if I can draw the spells from your mind."

Riley hesitated, but then pulled her wand out, holding it in her left hand. She faced Draco and watched as he drew out his own wand. Draco hesitated, pondering which spell to use, and then said aloud, "_Expelliarmus_!"

As the jet of green magic shot across the room, Riley's wrist flicked and she yelled, "Reject!"

There was a bright orange stream of magic from Riley's wand that neutralized Draco's attack. Draco smirked in amusement at the confused and surprised expression on Riley's face.

"What, what was that?" Riley asked, stunned.

"You just neutralized my attack," Draco explained. "Very well, too, if you didn't need to use a spell. But this time, try to say 'protego' when you're facing me. Give a wave of your wrist and say it."

"Right," Riley said in a skeptical, unsure voice. She hesitated, getting into position, gave a wave of her wrist and said, "_Protego!_"

"_Reducto!_" Draco yelled, rejecting the attack.

As the attack disappeared, Riley stared in surprise. "What, what would that have done to you if you hadn't repelled it?"

"Well," Draco said, looking around the room. He pointed out a vase. "Do that spell on that vase."

Riley raised an eyebrow, and then pointed the wand at the vase. She gave a wave of her hand said, "_Protego_!"

The vase suddenly exploded into a bunch of pieces. Draco and Riley both ducked, covering their heads as pieces of the vase went flying everywhere. When they were safe, they both began to stand up. Riley looked around, her eyes wide, and she said, "And I'm supposed to be learning this, why?"

"Because it's an incredible spell, both offensively and defensively," Draco explained. "You can use it to distract people, destroy things, or destroy people. We, the Death Eaters, use it for all of those purposes."

"And why would we want to kill people?"

"There are certain types of people, people not like you and me," Draco began to explain. "That are practicing magic, but shouldn't. These people are half-bloods, though we've learned to tolerate them, and Mudbloods."

"Mudbloods?" Riley asked, staring at Draco in confusion.

Draco sighed, surprised at just how much he had to explain. "Purebloods are people who have completely magical ancestors. Half-bloods have mixed blood, and Muggles are non-magic people. Mudbloods are witches or wizards who have Muggle parents, no magic in their blood. Squibs are the opposite, people who have magical ancestors, but don't have any magical powers themselves. The Dark Lord only takes Purebloods under his arm, but he finds ways to use half-bloods. Anyone who doesn't have magical blood isn't acceptable, and must be destroyed."

"Then why haven't you done that yet?" Riley asked. "Why now? Why are there still Mudbloods and Squibs then?"

"Because until recently, the Dark Lord hasn't been able to fight back," Draco said. "You see, fifteen years ago, he was at the peak of his power when he faced off against a family, the Potters. The parents, Lilly and James Potter, died protecting their son, Harry. He's my age, and is in our grade. He's a half-blood, his mother a Mudblood. He's opposed the Dark Lord since he was born, and our ultimate goal is to get rid of him."

"You mean to kill him?" Riley pressed.

"Yes," Draco said, nodding. "The Dark Lord understands more than the rest of us. He knows better than any of us, and we do as he wishes. This Mark," he said, drawing his sleeve up and revealing the Dark Mark. "We all have it. When it burns, the Dark Lord is calling to us. We must come to him. Sometimes he will use it as a punishment for those who betray him or fail, but that is uncommon. We are all loyal, and do everything that it takes to execute the Dark Lord's will."

"And he chose _me_?" Riley asked, sounding intimidated.

Draco nodded. "He has seen your power, and wants it. He knows that you will do well in our work."

"What does he want from me?" Riley asked. "I mean, I'm initiated, and I want to learn more, but I don't know why this all-powerful wizard would want me to serve him?"

"Because he knows that you're right for this," Draco explained.

"And you?" Riley asked, walking closer. She set her hands on her hips and stared into Draco's cold eyes. "Why do you want me here, Draco Malfoy?"

Draco didn't say anything for several moments as he searched her eyes. There was genuine curiosity in her eyes, no ulterior motives. Finally, he realized that she wasn't ready for the truth. He just said, "The Dark Lord _wanted_ you. _I'm_ here to carry out his will."

Riley didn't say anything, as though knowing that he was holding back. She then dipped her head in acknowledgement and backed up, saying, "Let's do this, then." She turned around, walked a few feet away, and then faced Draco. She drew her wand and said, "Let's do this, Draco."

Draco nodded and drew his wand, saying, "Right."

They continued practicing for several hours, not stopping to rest. They practiced most of the day, and Riley was amazed at how quickly she was adapting and remembering different spells, and taking in the explanation of why and how each spell was to be used in the Dark Lord's service. Draco marveled at how easily Riley accepted everything he said, as though she trusted him completely. It reminded him of when she first came to Hogwarts as a Silvergates student. She'd been willing to listen to him and had helped him out quite a bit. Now it was his turn to help her, and he felt partly guilty. He'd hoped that she'd listen to him for a long time, to honestly listen to him, but he never would have dreamt that she'd become a Death Eater. But he knew that if he hadn't done this, the Dark Lord would have done everything in his power to make sure that she was killed. He knew that it probably wasn't the best decision that he could have made, but he knew that he'd made the decision, and for the moment, it felt perfect.


	33. Chapter 33: Lonely Hearts Day

Chapter Thirty-three: Lonely-Hearts-Day

Ginny let out a sigh as she leaned her head back against the wall behind her bed. She closed her eyes as she tried to remain calm, gripping tightly at a small rubber ball that she was holding in both hands. It was the best way for her to strangle something without hurting anyone else. Otherwise, she might very well just pick up her wand and attack the first person that said anything to her.

"Hey, Ginny!"

Ginny flinched as she heard someone say her name. As she opened her eyes, she saw Aria walking across the room with Hermione, both looking exhausted. Ginny understood why. They'd both been scowering the Hogwarts grounds every night for the past two weeks, looking in every place imaginable for Riley, who was still unaccounted for.

That was one of the reasons Ginny was so tense. That, and because it was Valentines Day.

Ginny couldn't remember ever having felt more miserable in her life. She and Dean were taking a time-out, but that didn't stop her from wanting him, or even more so, wanting Harry. She wanted Dean because of the comfort his presence brought, and because when she was with him, Ginny was thinking about Harry that much less. Still, she couldn't deny that in her heart, the person that she really wanted was Harry. He was an amazing friend, and

In spite of her feelings, Ginny still couldn't get over the misery that came from not knowing where Riley was, what she was going through, or if Voldemort was keeping her hostage. Honesty to herself told Ginny that he was the most-likely candidate for Riley's kidnap, though Ginny couldn't imagine how he could have possibly gotten Riley when there were so many precautionary methods taken to keeping Dark Magics out of Hogwarts, and Voldemort was practically the definition of "bad magics". The only other conclusion Ginny could come up with was that someone on the inside had taken Riley out, and she'd been ambushed. The only name that came to mind was Malfoy, but Ginny knew better than to think that Riley would have been willing to follow Malfoy into uncertainty, especially after everything that she'd gone through with the blonde freak last year.

The uncertainty of the whole situation was making Ginny feel as though her brain was going to explode.

"Hey, guys," Ginny said in a dry, unenthusiastic voice. "What's up?"

"Well," Hermione said with a smile as she sat down on her bed, which was right beside Ginny's. "Because it's Valentines Day, McGonogall has arranged for fifth-years and above to be able to go to Hogsmeade. We'll be able to see the opening of your brothers' new store," she added excitedly.

"How could McGonogall possibly think about taking any students out of here after Riley disappeared?" Ginny exclaimed, ignoring the comment about the francising of her brothers' store.

"That's what I said," Aria said with a serious frown. "But McGonogall is making sure that we have a dozen teachers and Aurors with us, and no student will be allowed to break off from the group without at least two other students and two Aurors with them. It's McGonogall's way of trying to keep moral and keep us all protected at the same time. Most of the Aurors are members of the Order, and every group will have

"Moral, my ass!" Ginny exclaimed, surprising both Aria and Hermione. "There's nothing in Hogsmeade to prevent an attack. McGonogall, of all people, should know that! I can't believe Dumbledore is letting her do this!"

"I know," Aria said with a frown. "But, let's put it this way, if we're attacked, you can take all of your anger at the Death Eaters out on them."

That caught Ginny's attention. She hesitated, only to ask, "How long do we have before the group leaves?"

"Fifteen minutes, so you'd better hurry up," Hermione said as she stood up again. "We just came up to get our cloaks and money."

Forty-five minutes later, Ginny found herself walking beside Hermione and Aria into Hogsmeade, all three girls holding their wands in their hands, ready to attack if anyone made any suspecting movements. Ginny had seen Harry and Ron walking down the road with Seamus, Dean and Neville, all five boys holding their wands in similar manners. Everyone from Gryffindor was on full-alert to be looking out for Riley, one of their closest friends. Ginny had noticed (and this being her only source of amusement since Riley's disappearance) that Seamus, in particular, seemed to be watching out for her everywhere he went. He also seemed to be one of the people who missed her most, probably due to the fact that he was very attracted to her. That much was as obvious as daylight. Even if he didn't have a chance with her, he was going to do his damndest to make sure that she was found safely. Ginny knew that of all of the people in Hogwarts, he was one of those she could count on most in this case, not that that was saying a whole lot.

Every House loved Riley, every House except for Slytherin. Sure, there were a few kids in Slytherin who liked her, but on a whole, she was treated like an outcast. However, Riley had managed to make friends in every House with her big brain and charismatic personality. In Hufflepuff, Hannah and Ernie were two of Riley's biggest supporters, primarily Hannah. Hannah had been able to connect with Riley on multiple levels, including their brains, their love for Quidditch, and the fact that they were both Prefects. Padma Patil from Ravenclaw thought that she was a bit outlandish for her taste, but Anthony Goldstein was also one of Riley's very close friends. From Ravenclaw, Riley had also made friends with the entire Quidditch team, and Luna Lovegood, though their friendship was rather tepid. The entire school was on alert, or at least the majority of it.

"Hey, Ginny."

Ginny turned her head and saw Hannah Abbot walking up behind her with Ernie and a fifth-year girl named Sasha Bates. Hannah's expression was serious as she nodded to Hermione and Aria and said, "Hermione. Aria."

"Hannah," Aria and Hermione said in unision, nodding politely to Hannah. The group continued to walk forward as Hannah said, "Can't believe we're actually allowed out, after everything that's happened."

"Makes two of us," Ginny admitted, knowing that Hannah was referring

"Any word from Dumbledore on how the search is going?" Hannah asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"No, unfortunately," Ginny admitted. "It's like she's disappeared right off of the face of the earth."

"Do you have any idea who would have taken her?" Ernie asked, narrowing his eyes in similar mistrust and suspicion. "I mean, she wouldn't have just left without telling us, so she would have had to have been kidnapped. Any idea who?"

"You mean other than You-Know-Who?" Hannah asked with a scoff. "After everything that happened at the Department of Mysteries last year?" Aria, Hermione and Ginny all spun around to look at Hannah in alarm, and Hannah shrugged as she said, "Oh, come on. I know that the papers aren't completely accurate, but it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together when Riley comes back from a battle with an enormous scar across her face, and half a dozen highly respected witches and wizards end up in Azkaban for being Death Eaters."

"I suppose not," Aria said uncertaily as she began to lead the group forward again. "Voldemort is the most-likely culprate, but we don't know anything for certain."

The group remained silent until they reached Hogsmeade. When they did, Ginny noticed with awe that the Zonko's had been converted into an almost identical copy of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. Ginny, Aria, Hermione, Hannah, Ernie and Sasha all walked inside, along with several others from the school. Ginny looked up and around, her eyes stretched wide with awe when she saw that the place was filled with people and all kinds of merchandise, even more than Ginny could remember having seen in the store in Diagon Alley.

"This place is amazing!" Hannah said in awe, voicing Ginny's own thoughts.

"Glad you guys like it."

Ginny turned her head and saw George walking over in a green robe and hat, the robe decorated with many silver stars. It was a different outfit than he'd worn at the other store, but it matched his blazing red hair well. George walked up to Aria and kissed her, only to look over at Ginny and say in a desperate tone, "Giny, please, please , _please _keep Fred away from customers. No matter what it takes, just keep him away from them!"

"What?" Ginny asked in surprise. "Why?"

"He - _oh no!_ He found some more customers!" George said in a groan as he led Ginny away.

Ginny blinked in surprise when George led her to one of the corners of the store, which was filled with a rather large amount of Love Potions, pink, red and dark purple. Ginny remembered that the purple potions were, in fact, revenge potions, meant to make people hurt and miserable. These were generally bought by the 'hell hath no fury' crowd, primarily girls who had been dumped while their boyfriends went off to find other girlfriends. Fred was standing next to two younger girls that Ginny recognized as fifth-years from Hufflepuff, Claire and Denise Ralson.

"Look, I don't really care what your problems are with this boy," Fred snapped, the ferocity in his voice surprising Ginny. There was no sympathy there, or understanding. He was full-on snapping at her, angry and showing it. He folded his arms and said bitterly, "If you want him to have rashes all over his body, take the Super Strength, if you want him to break out in boils, take the Maximum, and if you want him to hear your voice screaming at him wherever he goes, take the bloody Silver Version. If you want my opinion, just get over the asshole and get the hell out of my store, because I'm not in the mood to deal with some whiney, broken-hearted mouse who is only going to spend the rest of her school year pining over someone who doesn't even want her!"

Claire suddenly burst into tears and took off, Denise right behind her as she tried to console her sister.

"I see your point now," Ginny said, voicing her surprise to her brother.

"That's the fifth time today," George muttered under his breath. "I know he's hurting and all, and I feel truly bad because Riley is like my sister, but it's not going to look good for our business if one of the owners is scaring away clients on the store's first day open. Now, I have to go find those girls and try to salvage the sale." With that, he ran off in the direction the girls had disappeared.

As soon as George was gone, Fred turned his head, blinking in surprise when he recognized Ginny. "Ginny," he said, voicing his surprise. "Didn't expect to see you in here today."

"Are you kidding?" Ginny scoffed. "When Aria told me that I might be able to attack some of those bastards if I saw them, it only took a heartbeat for me to make my decision to come."

"Right," Fred said dryly and with absolutely no interest in his voice as he turned around.

"You aren't very sympathetic for a salesman back there," Ginny pointed out.

"I'm just so sick of girls coming in here and complaining about their ex-boyfriends being so horrible, wanting to curse them or do something horrible to them,"

"That's not the real problem, Fred," Ginny said knowingly as she walked closer. Her eyes stared up at her brother sympathetically as she asked, "Is it?"

Fred fell silent, his expression changing from anger to misery as he said quietly, "It's just, it's Valentines Day, and I'm more worried about Riley than ever. I just, I want her back so badly, but more than that, I want to know where she is and how she disappeared. I hate not knowing, wondering where she is every second of the day. We haven't even been together for a year yet, but I don't think I've ever cared about a person more than Riley in my entire life."

"I know," Ginny admitted. "Riley's like my sister, and I hate not knowing where she is, what's happened to her, or what she's going through. But she's strong, and I'm sure she'll be all right."

"If she's even still alive," Fred muttered under his breath.

"Fred!" Ginny exclaimed, appalled by the suggestion.

"Well?" Fred exclaimed. "You know as well as I do that it's a very real possibility that You-Know-Who has taken her and killed her. After everything that she's done to oppose him, and after putting several of his Death Eaters in Azkaban, what better target? Obviously, he wants Harry dead, but next to Harry, she draws a pretty close second."

"You're forgetting about Dumbledore, but I get your point," Ginny pointed out. She frowned and said quietly, "Fred, you can't give up on her yet. I'm sure we'll find her, alive and healthy."

"The only reason she would be both alive and healthy is if she joined them," Fred muttered under his breath. "And since you and I both know that she would never do that in her right mind, the only way she might be alive is if she was being tortured, and the idea of those scumbags torturing her is almost as bad as the idea of her being dead."

"But at least if she's being tortured, she's still alive and there's still hope," Ginny pointed out.

"Right," Fred muttered. "Look, I've got to get back to work. I'll see you later, sis." With that, he stormed off past Ginny, leavnig her alone and feeling even more miserable.

Ginny stood alone in silence for a moment before being surprised as someone stepped out from behind a shelf of books, his cold eyes narrowed as he looked at Ginny. "Geeze, Malfoy!" Ginny exclaimed, nearly jumping outof her skin. "What were you doing, eavesdropping?"

"Not intentionally, no," Malfoy admitted as he held a book up. "I was just picking up a book and some other stuff, and I happened to overhear. Bad timing, is all."

"Right," Ginny said disbelievingly. "Whatever you say." She turned around and began to walk away, only to hear Malfoy say something.

"He really misses her, doesn't he?"

Ginny stopped and turned around, narrowing her eyes at Malfoy. His voice didn't sound snide or contemptuous, like normal when dealing with the Weasleys. Instead, he sounded genuinely methotical, and his expression was similar. "Yeah," she answered. "He loves her, really loves her, and there's nothing he wouldn't do to get her back safely. Unlike some people," she added with a snide tone, "We care about our friends, and we protect them at any costs."

Malfoy rolled his eyes and walked past Ginny, Ginny barely hearing as he muttered under his breath, "So do I."


	34. Chapter 34: Happy Birthday, Ron!

A/N: I know I'm jumping around from month to month like a kangaroo, but please bear with me for a little while longer. We only have about fifteen more chapters or so before this one is done and I finally move onto the last volume. Now, I'm thinking about starting the one about the previous generation, like I promised, sooner, but I'm not sure. Anyone wants to give me their opinion, I'll take it into consideration.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-four: Happy Birthday, Ron!

It was evening. The hospital wing was quiet, the windows curtained, the lamps lit. Ron's was the only occupied bed. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting on the bed around him, while Aria stood hand-in-hand with George, who was standing beside Fred a few feet away. Harry and his friends had spent all day waiting outside the double doors, trying to see inside whenever somebody went in or out. Madam Pomfrey had only let them enter at eight o'clock. Fred and George had arrived at ten past, not that Fred had said much.

"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present," said George grimly, putting down a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet and sitting beside Ginny. Aria stayed beside him, though didn't sit down.

"Yeah," Fred grunted. "When we pictured the scene, he was conscious."

"There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him -" George began.

"You were in Hogsmeade?" Ginny asked, looking up at her brothers in surprise.

"We own our own business there, little brother," George said with a big, broad grin. "We're important business people, and we're making a ton of money. Well, we'd be making more, but..." His eyes fell on Fred, and he silenced himself.

Harry knew what George meant. Ever since Riley had disappeared, Fred's personality had somewhat deflated, turning him into a grumpy and aggitated busnessman who practically scared off everyone who stepped foot into the store. Ginny had told Harry about seeing her brother act like a complete asshole to some girls in the story over Valentines Day, and Harry couldn't blame him at all. Looking at Fred, it wasn't hard to believe that he was feeling depression at the highest rate, and Harry wondered if it even compared to his own. After all, Fred had lost his girlfriend. Harry had lost his sister. Harry looked over at Ginny and wondered for a moment how he would feel if Voldemort had kidnapped her. The sheer idea made his blood want to curdle.

Fred pulled a chair up beside Harry and sat down on it, looking at Ron's pale face with a solemn one of his own. "How exactly did it happen, Harry?"

Harry stared at Fred uncomfortably, noticing the empty look in his eyes as Fred looked at his brother. He couldn't help but wonder for a moment if Fred was feeling anything right now, after losing Riley and finding out that his brother was hurt so badly. Still, he ignored his thoughts and retold the story he had already recounted. It felt like he'd retold it a hundred times to Dumbledore, McGonogall, Madam Pomfrey, and to Aria, Ginny and Hermione.

"...and then I got the bezoar down his throat and his breathing eased up a bit, Slughorn ran for help, McGonogall and Madam Pomfrey turned up, and they brought Ron up here. They reckon he'll be all right. Madam Pomfrey says he'll have to stay here a week or so... keep taking essence of rue..."

"Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar," said George in a low, but impressed tone.

"Lucky there was one in the room," Harry said, once again turning cold at the thought of what would have happened if he had not been able to lay hands on the little stone.

Hermione gave an almost inaudible sniff. She had been exceptionally quiet all day. Having hurtled, white-faced, up to Harry outside the hospital wing and demanded to know what had happened, she had taken almost no part in Harry and Ginny's obsessive discussion about how Ron had been poisoned, but merely stood beside them, clench-jawed and frightened-looking, until at last they had been allowed in to see him.

"Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked, barely glancing over at Ginny.

"They've already seen him," Ginny explained. "They arrived an hour ago. They're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon..."

Fred stood up and turned around to walk out of the room, not bothering to say another word. Harry looked around at his friends, who were looking after Fred worriedly. He stood up and said reassuringly, "I'll go talk to him. I think I know what's wrong." With that, he hurried out of the hospital wing and after Fred, who he found out in the hallway between the hospital wing and the main part of the castle, standing with his arms folded as he looked out over the Hogwarts grounds.

"Fred?" Harry asked in an uncertain voice as he came closer.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" Fred asked in a dry voice, not even bothering to look at Harry as he came closer. "Why aren't you with Ron and the others?"

"I came to see how you're doing," Harry said as he shoved his hands deep into his jeans pockets. He frowned and admitted, "From the looks of it, you're about the same as me."

"How do you figure?"

"Miserable without her around," Harry admitted. "Feeling guilty that you couldn't have done anything to prevent her from being gone, even more so that you don't know how she was taken from here, and like your brain is going to explode because you have no idea where she was taken."

Fred shook his head and muttered, "It's been almost a month, and we haven't heard anything. For all we know, she could be dead by now." His eyes darkened as he muttered, "I just wish there was some way to know for sure."

"That makes two of us," Harry admitted as he walked up beside Fred. He looked out over the peaceful Hogwarts grounds and said, "It's so strange to look around this place and see life going on. You know," he scoffed with a small smile. "Three years ago, she wasn't even a student here. None of us even knew her, and life was going on like normal. Then, my fourth year, two years ago, she and Aria suddenly appear, and our lives change completely. I mean, can you imagine how things would be if they weren't a part of our lives?" he asked as he looked at Fred in disbelief.

Fred shook his head and admitted, "I've never really thought about it, but I don't want to find out." He narrowed his eyes at Harry and said seriously, "I don't want to find her body somewhere, dead. I don't want to find out that she's been killed, or that she's being tortured by Voldemort and his lot. But, I can't think of any other outcome of her being kidnapped by the Death Eaters. I mean, what other purpose could they have for her?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "Frankly, I'm not sure I want to know. But at the same time, if there's any hope

"Yeah," Fred admitted. "I guess time will tell what that bastard really has in mind for her."

"Let's just he makes it known to all of us sooner rather than later."

"Here, here."

* * *

"Hello, my fellow Dark ones," Voldemort said as he walked in a circle, facing each of the Death Eaters that surrounded him, each with their heads raised and looking at the person standing in the center of the circle with Voldemort, also wearing a black cloak, but not a mask. The person's head was lowered, their arms folded behind their back as they stood in complete silence. Voldemort smirked as he circled the person in the center of the circle, saying proudly, "Today, we accept our newest comrade into the family, and soon, she will make her mark in this world, and show the world the true strength of Lord Voldemort." He raised a hand to the person in the center of the circle and said proudly, "You have learned faster than any of my other Death Eaters, and now, after only a month, you have hardened your heart to nothing, and have proven to be one of our best. We welcome you to the fold, Riley O'Malley."

"Yes, Master," her voice said in the darkness, cold and empty of all emotions. Her head raised to the darkness, blue eyes as cold as ice and bearing absolutely no emotions at all, like there was no soul behind them. Her voice remained empty as she said, "Whatever your will, I will serve you, and I _will not _fail."


	35. Chapter 35: Dumbledore's Suspicions

A/N: Okay, I realized something a few days that bugs me, but I can't completely fix, not without spending a ton of time that I don't have right now. I've realized that I changed the original name of Rora Ravenclaw to Rona, but we're going to have to stick with Rona, because it's too complicated to change it all. Also, I'm going to put up several chapters today, which is going to be weird, but I want to get this story done by the time I start school, or shortly after. So enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-five: Dumbledore's Suspicions

"Wait, what?" Harry asked, his eyes wide with alarm. Harry was standing with Dumbledore, Aria, Ginny, Fred and George in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore had just returned from a long trip, and this was the first time that Harry had been able to talk to him about what had happened with Riley.  
"It's as I feared," Dumbledore said, his eyes distant as he looked to the side. "The Death Eaters are luring the students out and recruiting them or killing them."

"Then I was right?" Aria asked, sounding half-surprised.

"I believe so," Dumbledore said, sounding regretful.

"I don't understand, Professor," Harry said, shaking his head. "How could something like this have happened, here in Hogwarts? I thought there were aurors on the lookout for Death Eaters. How could they get past security?"

"They're a tricky bunch, Death Eaters," Dumbledore said. "They can mask themselves as anyone we know and trust, or be anyone we know and trust."

"You mean that this could be someone here in the castle?" Ginny asked, and then turned to George, whose eyes were filled with resentment, and said, "I'm not just talking about him."

"'Him'?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Ginny in curiosity.

Ginny faced Dumbledore and said, "Aria and George believe that it's Malfoy who kidnapped Riley. They've been trying to find out as much as they can by spying on him and communicating with one another."

"You believe that Draco is responsible for this?" Dumbledore asked in his normal, calm voice. "Why is this?"

"It's more than just a belief, Professor," George said. "Malfoy has been infatuated with Riley since she first arrived, back in the Triwizard Tournament. It only makes sense that if You-Know-Who was going to attack Hogwarts, he'd want to get her out safely, whether that means by force or invitation, and since I'm guessing that Riley didn't choose to ditch Hogwarts for You-Know-Who, that it was the first."

"Exactly," Aria agreed. "Voldemort's had his eye on Riley since he learned about her being the daughter of the Black Raven leaders, and my guess is that he knows about her further ancestry, which would explain why he's got such an interest in her."

"I understand," Dumbledore said, then eyed both Aria and George suspiciously. "You two seem to have put a lot of thought into this over the past twenty-four hours."

"It's the most likely solution," Aria said.

"It _does_ make sense, sir," Harry pointed out. As Dumbledore looked at him, Harry said, "I, I have my own suspicions that Malfoy is a Death Eater, a spy for Voldemort."

"Potter, I warned you about making such accusations," Professor McGonogall said in a warning tone.

"And I can't stand by and watch my friends get picked off one by one!" Harry snapped, looking at McGonogall with wild eyes. "If Malfoy is luring students away for them to be attacked, I want to stop him. Whether she was interrogated or attacked, I believe Aria and George. This makes the most sense."

"Aria," Ron said, speaking up for the first time. As everyone faced him, he asked, "I'm just curious, but, but what is it about Riley that's so special? You, you said something about her ancestry?"

Aria frowned. "Like me, Riley is a Parstlemouth."

"What?" Ron asked as half the room gasped. Even George seemed surprised by this, clearly not aware of this fact. In fact, the only ones that didn't seem surprised by this were Aria, Harry, Fred and Dumbledore, who just continued to look calm.

Aria nodded, looking almost ashamed. "I am a first generation Parstlemouth. There has never been a record of this happening before in my family. The orphanage, they thought I was a freak for being able to communicate with snakes. They didn't understand it, so I tried to ignore it. I rejected my gift. But when Riley showed up, and I caught her yelling at the person that headed up the orphanage we were in, I realized taht I wasn't a total freak, and I confronted her. That's when we started to become friends."

"So is Riley a first generation Parstlemouth, too?" George asked, curious.

"No," Aria said, shaking her head. "From what she's told me. Every woman in her family has been a Parstlemouth. Never the men, only the women. It's a gift that's gone back generation upon generation, all the way back to…" She trailed off, not finishing her sentence.

"What?" Hermione asked. "Who?"

When Aria didn't answer, George walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, gripping her hard. "If this has something to do with why she's missing, I want to now, NOW!" he yelled.

"Mr. Weasley, please let go of Aria," Dumbledore said, pushing gently on George's shoulder and backing him up. "I understand that Riley made Aria promise not to tell her secret. You see, not many people know, because of what happened back then. Riley is distantly related to Rona Ravenclaw, the sister to our very own Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Really?" Hermione asked, thoroughly intrigued and surprised. "No wonder, when she first came here for the Triwizard Tournament, she was so well-versed on the history of Silvergates and Hogwarts. Her ancestors came from these schools."

"So this does have something to do with You-Know-Who?" Ginny asked, alarmed at the idea.  
"Well, remember back to your first year, Ginny, and your second, Harry, Ron, Hermione," Dumbledore said. "Tom Riddle, or Voldemort, was the heir of Slytherin. That means that he is the heir of Salazar Slytherin, his descendant. Voldemort has become obsessed with the people involved with his past, even a thousand years before he was born. His ancestor, Salzar, left Hogwarts and joined up with Rona, who was expelled from Hogwarts for accidentally using her Parstletongue mouth to attack and kill a Hogwarts student. Afterward, no school would take her, not after being expelled from Hogwarts. Voldemort is just as obsessed with Rona as he is Rowena, because she is entwined in his family's past, just as Riley is in his present. Friend or foe, he takes joy in the twist of events, and I'm sure that he is drawn to her and her powers, which go back further than any memory can recall."

"Then chances are, he's going to try to recruit her," Hermione said. "After all, if he is that interested in her blood, he'd want her on his side, right?"

"Most likely," Dumbledore said.

"But she would never do it," Ron pointed out, almost frantically. "I mean, she would never join his side, not without a fight. She would die first, right?" he asked, looking around at everyone in hopes for support.

"I would like to think so," Dumbledore said. "But either way, if we're correct, then there's no good destination on this journey."

"But, she _wouldn't_ join him," Ron continued with his point.

"There are ways, Ron," Hermione said, looking off into the distance, as though reading something or remembering something. "Spells, charms, enchantments, potions, several things. All he needs is to get his Mark on her, and he's got her."

"How?" Harry asked, confused. "I mean, if her will was strong enough…"

"It's not enough," Ginny said, shaking her head as she realized what Hermione was saying. "I've been studying the Dark Mark since I first saw it appear. It's more powerful than any of us understand. You-Know-Who, he can activate it just by thinking about it. It allows him to summon any and all of his followers who bare the Mark, and if anyone should defy him, he can use the Mark to cause them uncontrollable and unequivocal pain."

"It's a pain that no medicine can cure, and no spell can touch," Dumbledore explained, elaborating on Ginny's knowledge. "The Dark Mark is extremely misunderstood and underestimated. It's not just a symbol, but a means of control and torture. The Dark Mark is pushed as far as Voldemort wishes, and as far as he's willing to put his mystical energies to fuel them. If he wants to torture his servants, he can. If he wants to drive them mad, he can. If he wants them dead, he can drive them to kill themselves."

"You mean…" George said, his eyes wide in alarm.

"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore said, nodding. "Let's just pray that Miss O'Malley hasn't fallen victim to the Dark Mark."

"Once a Death Eater," Hermione said. "Always a Death Eater. Even if you were to leave, there's no way to get rid of the Dark Mark. You're still under his thumb and control. There's no escaping his power once you're under it. We have to find her before she gets put under his control."

"What do we do, Professor?" Harry asked, looking at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore frowned, looking pensive. Finally he said in a cool voice, "I will send Professor Snape and myself to attempt to find Miss O'Malley. In the meantime, I will find a new teacher to temporarily substitute in Professor Snape's place."

"Professor," Ginny quickly said. "What about Malfoy, sir? If he really is a Death Eater…"

"We have no proof and no reason to believe that Draco is a Death Eater," Dumbledore said.

"But, sir," Hermione began.

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "I will take care of the situation as best as I can, but in the meantime, you will not say anything to Draco, and you will not cause any harm to him." He looked at each of the kids. "Is that clear?"

There was much hesitation, until they all finally said, "Yes, Professor."

"Good," Dumbledore said. "Now, go to your classes, and Fred, George, please return home. You cannot do anything else here."

As everyone left, Dumbledore said to Professor McGonogall, "I will go speak to Severus."

"Yes, Albus," Professor McGonogall said. She hesitated, then asked, "How much do you know that you aren't telling me, Albus?"

"Not much, I'm afraid," Dumbledore admitted. "That's why I'm going to do some recon." He started to walk out, and then looked back to say, "I always wanted to say that. It feels like being in one of those army movies that the Muggles have out, you know?"

With that, he walked out the door, down the hallway and to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. As Dumbledore walked into the classroom, he stood with his arms behind his back. He saw Snape talking to the class about how to fight off werewolves, when all of a sudden, Snape caught his eye.

"Professor," Snape said. "Is there something you wish to speak with me about?"  
"Yes, Severus," Dumbledore said. "It's very urgent." He looked at all of the kids and held his hands up, lifting them. "Your class is excused."

There was some hesitation, but after a moment, the students began to collect their bags and leave the room. Once they were all gone, Snape watched in curiosity as Dumbledore came down toward him and said, "This must be urgent, if you are willing to dismiss my class for me, thirty minutes before the period is out."

"It is, Severus," Dumbledore said.

Severus blinked and said in a cold voice, "I assume you're here about the girl, O'Malley."

"You've taken note of her absence?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Of course I have," Severus said. "It's my job to know, seeing as I am the head of the Slytherin House. I've noticed her absence for the past three days, which I could excuse, but her being absent for my classes is unacceptable, especially this girl, seeing as she has such an aptitude for it. However, circumstances for her are not that of most kids who choose to skip out on my class," he added.

"Tell me, Severus," Dumbledore said, taking a step toward Severus. "Do you know where she is?"  
"Yes," Severus said. "However, I haven't seen her myself. I haven't had the chance. I've been here, busy. However, this weekend is a free weekend for everyone who has permission to leave. I can tell Slughorn to cover for me, if you wish for me to check out the situation."

"That would mean a great deal to me," Dumbledore said. "I fear that Voldemort will try to recruit her permanently, by any means necessary, because of her heritage."

"You mean the fact that she's a Parstlemouth?" Severus asked. "Sometimes she speaks it in her sleep, which would be unnerving if she ever did it around any waking students, but seeing as she hasn't had a repeat of her last snake incident, I don't do anything about it. When I first realized that she was a Parstlemouth, I realized that she would be of even more interest to the Dark Lord."

"Good instincts," Dumbledore said. "But I worry that is why he has such a great interest in her."

"True," Severus said. "That, and her relation to Rona Ravenclaw make her strong candidates for his recruitment. I'll learn more this weekend, and I will report to you on Monday when I return."

"Very good," Dumbledore said.

"You're worried, aren't you?" Severus asked. "That she has been stamped by his Mark."  
"Of course," Dumbledore said. "If he was interested in her, that would be the first thing he would do."

"True," Severus admitted.

"And Draco?" Dumbledore asked. "Did he have something to do with her disappearance?"

"I believe so," Severus said. "I don't believe their absences to be a coincidence. These days, there are no such things. Just like, I don't think that his new ability

"He's an Animagus?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.

"Yes, sir," Severus said with a nod. "I've seen him out in the woods and in the dormitory, practicing. He's turned himself into a white ferret, easy to conceal and easy to get away without anyone noticing. I'm almost positive that he's sneaking out of the Hogwarts grounds on the weekends and Apparating home."

"Amusing choice of animal, considering that's what Moody turned him into during his fourth year."

Snape nodded and said, "I also believe he did it because he's one of the three people that could make her angry enough to draw her away from the barrier around Hogwarts, though I don't think he did it alone. She doesn't trust him enough to be alone with him, not anymore, not since he Department of Mysteries."

"Then who?" Dumbledore asked.

"I think he was involved," Severus explained. "But my guess is that it was Bellatrix LeStrange who ultimately led her out of the barrier. After all, who is the one Death Eater that O'Malley wants to see dead above all others?"

Dumbledore sighed and shook his head. "If Death Eaters can lure my best students away, my strength and the strength of the aurors must be failing. It's only a matter of time, Severus."

"And when the time comes, the school will be ready," Severus said. "I promise."


	36. Chapter 36: Almost

A/N: Okay, because of the way this chapter will end, I'm going to include the next chapter, even though it's really short.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-six: Almost

Draco walked down the hallway from his room to the door that led to Riley's. He knocked on the door, waiting politely until Riley's muffled voice said, "Come in."

Draco opened up the door and smiled when he entered. "Hey." He saw that the table that had been set up for Riley against one side of the room, was now covered with two cauldrons, dozens of vials filled with different-colored and different-textured liquids. She had several books lying out and open on the table, her handwriting filling them all. Draco knew that she'd been instructed by Voldemort to experiment with different potions and spells, and to make her own notes about the success or failures of those experiments. These books were the results of her findings. Riley was sitting at a chair near the desk, her hands rested on a book right on the table while a cauldron only a few feet away from her bubbled.

Riley turned her head, her hair falling over her right shoulder as she did. She smiled, her eyes brightening as she said in pleased voice, "Hey. What are you doing here? I thought you were at the school still."

"Nah," Draco said, shrugging as he closed the door behind him. "I decided to come over for the weekend, see how you and the others are doing."

"Oh, I'm not bad," Riley admitted.

"Go out on any missions lately?" Draco asked curiously.

"Twice since you left last weekend," Riley answered. "One was to blow up a building with a bunch of Muggle beggars in it, and the other was to create an earthquake beneath a city. It was minor stuff, nothing really interesting."

"Well, what's all of this stuff?" Draco asked curiously as he leaned back against the table Riley was sitting at, turning his head to look over hers so that he could see the books.

"Oh, the Dark Lord has instructed me to create potions that can be used for disintegrating even the densest substances in the world, both organic, man-made and enchanted," Riley admitted as she looked back at her notes. "

"Sounds tough," Draco said, more than impressed and grateful that Voldemort hadn't assigned him that task. He hated Potions, liked Defense Against the Dark Arts, but that was about it.

"It is," Riley admitted. "But only because there are so many different charms, enchantments and spells that can be put on objects, and I have to come up with a few potions that will burn through all of those and get to the actual objects.

"It must mean that he thinks highly of you if he's entrusting you with these tasks," Draco said with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess," Riley said halfheartedly.

"You don't sound very confident," Draco pointed out, sounding mildly surprised.

"I just keep wondering how long it'll be before I get my first solo mission," Riley admitted as she scribbled some notes into a book. "After all, I've been on several missions with Bella and Fenrir, but never on my own. I guess they're waiting until I'm strong enough. I just hope that it's soon."

"Oh, it won't be long, I'm sure," Draco said with a smile as he looked at Riley. She turned her head, only for her eyes to widen in alarm when she saw that their faces were only an inch of so apart. Draco smiled and said in a low, smooth voice, "You're amazing. Even a blind man could see that. I'm sure you'll be out on your own soon."

"Uh, yeah," Riley said in an uncomfortable voice as she stood up, walking away for a moment in silence.

"Riley, what's going on?" Draco asked in concern, guessing that something serious was going on. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I don't think so. Draco," Riley said uncomfortably as she looked over at Draco through narrowed eyes. "There's something I need to do, something I need to know. I've been trying to figure it out since I got here, but I'm not sure if I'm right or not."

"What's that?" Draco asked curiously.

Riley hesitated before walking forward. She grabbed a hold of either side of Draco's neck with her hands, leaning forward and kissing him. Draco froze, filled with surprise. It had been almost a year since he and Riley had kissed, but he realized instantly just how much he missed it.

It only took a split second for the intensity of the kiss to change. Draco was suddenly very involved, grabbing a hold of Riley's waist and gripping tightly, feeling the skin beneath his fingertips and loving the feel. Riley was kissing back, long and hard as she gripped tightly at his neck.

Draco pushed Riley back up against the wall, moving one hand up so that it was pressed against the wall behind her head, the other still holding onto her bare waste. When Draco finally pulled his lips away, Riley pressed her hands against his chest, panting for air and gripping onto him to find support for herself.

"Can't... breathe..." Riley panted.

"Don't stop," Draco said, shaking his head. "I don't want this to end."

Riley looked up into Draco's eyes, searching them with something of a desperate look in his eyes. Draco reached up with a hand and ran it through her hair, only to start kissing her again. He lowered his hand to her waist again, gripping tightly at it as he pressed his body against hers. She kissed him back, no longer showing any signs of hesitation. Draco closed his eyes, basking in the wonderful feeling of having Riley so close, having her kiss him because she wanted to. He savored the feeling of her skin under his fingertips as he ran them up her bare back. Finally, after two and a half years, he had what he wanted. Everything he wanted was right at his fingertips, and it felt amazing. He felt as though he was floating on air, and he realized that he'd never been happier in his life than he was at this moment.

The mood was suddenly deflated when there was a loud knock on the door. Draco pulled his lips away, groaning when he recognized Snape's voice saying, "Draco? I need to speak with you for a minute."

"Bloody hell," Draco muttered, suddenly hating Snape with a deep passion. "Worst timing in the world, that man has."

"It's okay," Riley whispered, also out of breath. When Draco looked back at her, she shrugged and said, "I'm not going anywhere. We have time. Besides, duty calls, and duty always come first."

"Yeah," Draco said half-heartedly. He didn't want to leave, didn't even want to move. Looking into her piercing blue eyes, all Draco wanted was to resume with the kissing. Instead, he backed away and walked over toward the door. When he opened it up, he saw Snape standing just outside. Draco stepped outside, slammed the door shut behind him. As he walked away with Snape, he couldn't help but think, _Finally. It's finally all coming together._


	37. Chapter 37: Snape's Rage

A/N: Okay, this chapter is pretty short. It was originally longer, but it gets the point across. Doesn't help that I'm also rushing to get the rest of this story done by the time school starts in less than a week.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-seven: Snape's Rage

Draco walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He walked down the hallway with Snape, saying sarcastically, "You know, your timing is impeccable. Really, you should get an award for it or something."

Snape suddenly grabbed a hold of Draco's upper arm and yanked him toward himself, causing Draco to spin around and face Snape as he said fiercely and under his breath, "You're a fool! You know that, Draco? You're a damn fool!"

"Let go of me!" Draco snapped, yanking his arm away. He narrowed his eyes up at Snape and asked defensively, "And what have I done to offend the great and almighty Severus Snape this time? Did I mess up your greasy hair?"

"You're losing sight of your mission because of that girl," Snape snapped. "Your falling in love with her is getting in the way of your mission, and you have stop it _now_."

"What, because you can't have anyone you love in your life, no one else can?" Draco snapped defensively.

"This isn't about me or my life," Snape insisted immediately. "This is about you and your mission, and that girl in there is compromising both!"

"_That girl_ is making me stronger than I've ever been in my life!" Draco snapped, pointing at the door to Riley's room. "It's because of her that I'm an Animagus, and I've learned more with her in the past month than I have in the last six years!"

"But you're letting yourself get attached to her, and that's creating a weakness," Snape insisted. "I can see it every time I see you. Your mind is constantly on her, and that means that you can't give your mission your full attention."

"The Dark Lord isn't complaining," Draco pointed out. "He's very pleased with her progress, and mine. I am now capable of spells I never thought existed, thanks to Riley."

"And if the time came where you had to choose between your mission and Riley, which would you choose?"

"No one other than _you_ is making me make that decision," Draco snapped defensively. "And as long as the Dark Lord doesn't make me choose, I'm not going to."

"You've got a very important mission, one that affects all of us," Snape pointed out. "You have to focus on it, train for it. You can't get distracted or loose sight of your mission, and this girl is getting in the way."

"She won't get in the way!" Draco insisted.

"There's no way you can guarantee that," Snape pointed out. "You can say the words, but that doesn't mean that when the time comes, she won't get in the way of your success.

"This is _my_ life, _my_ decision what to do about the people in it!" Draco said angrily and defensively. "So do everyone a favor and _just butt out!_"

"I'm not going to butt out when it affects every single member of this team," Snape insisted. "Draco, get help from anyone else, but not her."

"The Dark Lord has assigned me to work with her, while he and Bellatrix continue to teach her," Draco pointed out. "Even if I did agree with you, I can't. I won't defy the Dark Lord's orders. You, of all people, should know that."

"Oh, that's bull shit!" Snape yelled, surprising Draco by the ferocity in his voice. "You're just coming up with an excuse to cover your own ass, because you'd rather chase after a girl who doesn't even care about you than accept that this relationship is heading nowhere. You're going to sacrifice everything we've worked for over a stupid and meaningless relationship."

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Draco retorted. "Look, just because you're the Dark Lord's favorite, it doesn't mean that the rest of us are going to bow down to your wishes or commands. Just because you don't like my relationship with Riley, or Riley herself, it doesn't mean that I'm going to stop seeing her or pursuing her."

"And you're happy with a relationship made up of lies and deception?" Snape retorted knowingly. "How long do you think a relationship like that is going to last?"

"So now _you're_ going to give me a lecture on lies and deception, when you're the Dark Lord's own personal spy?" Draco laughed in disbelief. "Oh, that's rich, _Professor_. Look, my life is _my_ life, so just leave me and Riley alone."

Draco turned around and stormed off, leaving Snape standing alone in the hallway. His anger was practically causing his blood to boil, as well as the aggravation caused by having come so close to getting what he had wanted for years, and losing it because of Snape's paranoia. _Riley means more to me than anything, _Draco thought to himself. _I'm not going to make that chance, between her or them. I'm going to do everything in my power to protect her, to keep her here with us, with me. I've done all of this to keep her, and I'm not going to lose her, not now, not ever._


	38. Chapter 38: The Uncomfortable Meeting

Chapter Thirty-eight: The Uncomfortable Meeting

"Uh, Professor Slughorn," Aria said uncomfortably as she looked around. "Why are we here?"

"I told you that there was someone I wanted you to meet, didn't I?" Slughorn asked with a broad, proud smile. "That's why you agreed to leave Hogwarts to have lunch with me."

"Yeah, but you didn't tell me that it would be at the Ministry of Magic," Aria pointed out.

Aria and Slughorn were standing just outside of the double doors that led into the Ministry of Magic, Aria feeling completely dumbfounded. It was Saturday, and the day before, Slughorn had cornered Aria after class and offered her the chance to come with him to lunch in London, told her that there was someone important that he wanted her to meet. When Aria had hesitated to accept, imagining a hundred different ways that she'd rather spend her Saturday, Slughorn pointed out that making all of the right connections would help her chances of getting into the field that she was striving for, and that in such a competitive field, any connections would be beneficial. Even so, this was the next to last place she'd expected Slughorn to take her, the last being Voldemort's lair.

"Well, you couldn't very well expect the Minister of Magic to come to Hogwarts for a simple luncheon, can you?" Slughorn asked in a clearly amused tone.

"'_The Minister of Magic'?_" Aria repeated, rather loudly and in a voice filled with disbelief. "We're meeting _Rufus Scrimgeour _here?"

"Oh, of course," Slughorn said in a rather pleased and proud tone. "Rufus was a student of mine many years ago. Poor boy, never had much aptitude for Potions, not like you and Harry, you know. However, he had remarkable skills in Transfigurations, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies and Charms. Always so charismatic and popular, that boy, made friends with all of the right people. I'm glad to see that he became so successful."

_And full of hypogriff shit,_ Aria thought bitterly to herself, but she didn't say aloud. She had never been impressed with Scrimgeour's "success". "He does know why we're meeting him, right?" she dared to ask.

"He believes we are meeting him for a casual lunch, and we are," Slughorn said with a nod. "Impress him and you may find yourself one of the top potioneers in a matter of years."

"I'm not going to be a spineless suck-up just to impress him," Aria said defensively. "Whether or not I get the job will be based on my skills and qualifications, not because I played kiss-ass to the Minister of Magic, Professor!"

Slughorn frowned, narrowing his eyes in disapproval as he said, "I see that Riley's defensive personality and vulgarity has rubbed off onto you, Aria, and in certain places, that's fine. However, you have to realize that when faced with a hundred applicants that are all equally qualified in every way, the Ministry _will_ choose the student with the most recommendations and highest connections. It's considered a show of promise and sensibility."

"If they're looking at that, then they might as well look at my breeding, too," Aria snapped defensively. "Because I'm a half-blood, and heaven forbid I associate with Purebloods. I might taint them or destroy their common sense."

"Aria," Slughorn said in a warning tone.

"Fine," Aria said with a roll of her eyes. "I'll be polite, but I _won't_ be a suck-up."

"Very good," Slughorn said with a nod of acceptance. He knocked on one of the doors, only for an automated voice to say, "Please speak your name, status and place of origin."

"Horace Slughorn, teacher, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Aria Ren Hardwick, student, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

There was a beeping sound, and the doors suddenly opened themselves up. Aria followed Slughorn inside and looked around the enormous room that she'd stepped into. Marble lined the walls and floors, and statues filled the lobby, moving ones that emitted light and water. The place practically buzzed, there were so many people walking around and talking. Aria's eyes narrowed in hatred when she recognized a short, rotund woman in an ugly pink cardigan walking over.

"Horace," Umbridge said in a pleasant and surprised voice. She narrowed her eyes at Aria and said in a stiff voice, "Miss Hardwick."

"Miss Umbridge," Aria said in voice laced with dislike. She was suddenly very grateful that she didn't have to pretend to be nice anymore, that she didn't have to call this hideous woman a professor. She hated Umbridge for what she did the past year, to Riley and everyone else in the school.

"What a surprise," Umbridge said, obviously not pleased. "I wouldn't have expected to see _you_ here."

"Well, Professor Slughorn wanted

"Really, Horace?" Umbridge asked, sounding surprised as she looked at the older man. "And who might that be?"

"Rufus himself," Slughorn said proudly.

Umbridge seemed both surprised and appalled by this. "You're taking _her_ to meet the Minister of Magic?"

"That's right," Slughorn said with a nod. "Aria is my top student in Potions, and I would like very much to have her meet Rufus. She intends to

"Yes, I remember," Umbridge said stiffly. "I sat in on her consultation with Professor McGonogall this last year, regarding career opportunities." She looked at Slughorn and said stiffly, "Well, good day to you, Horace. I hope to catch up with you later." With that, she stormed off, clearly not pleased.

Slughorn raised an eyebrow at Aria and asked, "Need I ask why she seems to have such a strong dislike for you?"

"We don't have enough time," Aria said with a small smile.

Slughorn nodded, seeming to accept this as he said, "Right."

Five minutes later, Aria and Slughorn were walking down a hallway on the top floor of the building. Aria had passed several familiar faces, including Arthur Weasley, Narcissa Malfoy, and several foreign correspondents that Aria had come into contact with in the past. Finally, they reached a rather large door at the end of a very ominous hallway, and Aria realized that the dramatic irony told her that this was the door they were looking for.

Slughorn confirmed Aria's suspicions by knocking on the door. A moment later, the door opened up, and Aria recognized Rufus Scrimgeour standing

"Horace," Scrimgeour said in a pleasant voice. "Right on time, as always." He smiled pleasantly at Aria and said, "And you must be Aria Hardwick, the potions genius from Hogwarts." He shook Aria's hand.

"I guess you could say that," Aria said with a smile, trying to be polite. She pulled her hand back and walked inside when Scrimgeour beckoned her.

"Sit down, please," Scrimgeour said, gesturing toward the two seats on this side of his abnormally large desk. Behind the desk was a very fancy chair that Aria guessed was where Scrimgeour sat. He struck her as the kind of man that liked to live life large.

As Aria sat down, she said politely, "I appreciate your invitation to lunch, sir."

"Not a problem," Scrimgeour said as he walked over to where a metal tea pot was floating in the air, right above a table pressed up against the wall. "I always love meeting the talented and promising students of Hogwarts, and I understand that you definitely meet that standard."

_Guess you and Slughorn are a pair, then, _Aria thought, but didn't say aloud. _If I had to guess, I'd say you were in the Slug Club, too. _Instead, she said, "I can hold my own, though I'm not nearly as good at Transfigurations and Defense Against the Dark Arts as my friend, Riley O'Malley.

"Oh, yes," Scrimgeour said as he poured tea into three cups. "Miss O'Malley. Shame what's going on at Hogwarts."

"And what might that be, Rufus?" Horace asked curiously, while Aria stiffened up, well aware of where this conversation was going.

"Students disappearing," Scrimgeour said in an absentminded voice. "Hogwarts has had a reputation in the past for being the safest of all places for students, but students being cursed, attacked, and kidnapped? Just doesn't seem real for Hogwarts. I fear for the future of Hogwarts."

"Surely, the Ministry wouldn't shut down Hogwarts," Horace insisted, sounding horrified at the thought.

"No, of course not," Scrimgeour said with a shake of his head. "Not yet. However, parents might begin to fear for their childrens' safety, so they might pull their students out of school. After all, it's only human nature to want to protect your children."

"Right," Aria muttered sarcastically under her breath. "And being a spineless coward is another human nature, especially in overstated and over-dressed male politicians."

"Excuse me, Miss Hardwick?" Scrimgeour asked in a polite and curious voice. "What did you say?"

Aria narrowed her eyes up at Scrimgeour and said bitterly, "I don't appreciate you using my friend's kidnapping as a casual conversation piece, not when it means a great deal more to over five hundred students in Hogwarts. Her disappearance is more than a tragedy to us, because she means a great deal to all of us. So excuse me for not being patient or understanding when you act like it's nothing."

"Aria," Slughorn said in a warning tone.

"No," Aria said fiercely as she stood up, narrowing her eyes at her teacher. "I'm not going to just sit here and act like everything's okay when it's not."

"Have I done something to defend you, Miss Hardwick?" Scrimgeour asked, sounding both hurt and surprised.

"Yeah, you have," Aria admitted, narrowing her eyes at Scrimgeour. "You've approached my friend, Harry Potter, and admitted that you want to exploit his fame for your own purposes, and when my best friend went missing, the Ministry did nothing to help other than print articles about it in every English newspaper in the wizarding world. You're profiting off of Riley's misfortune, and we don't have a clue where she the hell she is."

"What would you have us do, Miss Hardwick?" Scrimgeour asked, folding his arms as he stood up straight. "Professor Dumbledore says that none of the locating spells have proven fruitful, and I'm certainly not any more powerful than Professor Dumbledore."

"You could get off of your lazy asses and do something to try and find her!" Aria exclaimed angrily. "One of the best students at Hogwarts is missing, and you just sit here, pouring tea like her kidnapping is no different than losing a paperweight."

"_Aria!_" Slughorn exclaimed in a shocked and mortified voice.

Aria rolled her eyes and said, "I'm sorry if I disappointed you, Professor, and I'm sorry for wasting your time, Minister. I'm going to go back to school." With that, she turned around and stormed off, leaving Scrimgeour and Slughorn behind in silence.

Slughorn looked at Scrimgeour and said in a desperate, apologetic voice, "I am so sorry, Rufus."

"No need to apologize, Horace," Scrimgeour said, waving a hand at Slughorn dismissively. "She's a high-spirited girl with passion. I wish I had ten like her."

"Does that mean you'll give her a recommendation?" Slughorn asked hopefully.

"Of course," Scrimgeour said with a smile. "She has enough recommendations to get a job in any department anywhere, and with a passion like that, I would bet she could even give me a run for _my_ job. I would love to have her on my staff." He nodded to Slughorn and said, "You should be proud of yourself, having discovered such a wonder.

Slughorn smiled proudly and said, "I always do."


	39. Chapter 39: First Solo Mission

Chapter Thirty-nine: First Solo Mission

Voldemort circled his group of Death Eaters, all of whom were bowing to the center, all in their spot in the circle as they should be. One knelt in the center of the group, their cloak pulled up over their head. Every other Death Eater had their cloak hoods down, but not the one in the center.

"Today is a marvelous day, my friends," Voldemort hissed, looking thoroughly pleased. "It has been over one month since the newest addition to our ranks has come to us, one month in which she has trained hard and learned our ways as well as the rest of us. Now, she is ready to join the ranks as an equal."

"Yes, master," every one of the Death Eaters said in unison and equal reverence.

Voldemort walked over to face the Death Eater in the center, set a hand on her shoulder, and said, "Riley, arise."

Riley stood up, facing Voldemort with clear eyes. He gave a wave of his hand over her face, and when his hand had finished crossing her face, there was a black mask over it. She said nothing and did nothing, just stood there. Voldemort then waved his hand in the opposite direction, and it disappeared.

"Now," Voldemort said with a snide smirk. "Whenever you do my work in secret, you may call upon this mask."

"Yes, master," Riley said, dipping her head to Voldemort, only to raise it.

Voldemort smiled and said, "The time for your first solo mission has come at last, Riley."

"If you feel that I am ready, Master," Riley said, her face as cold as ice, "Then I will complete this mission without failure."

Voldemort smirked and said, "You are ready."

* * *

Aria sighed as she ran a hand over her face. The last month had sped by like a snail. With everything that had happened with Ron over his birthday, and Riley disappearing, Aria felt as though she was going to go insane. She couldn't bare the image of Fred's face when she'd seen him last, when she'd seen him over Valentines Day and at Ron's birthday. She had to find Riley, but every time that she tried, she lost the scent or was forced to come back to the castle.

Aria closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn't give up on finding Riley. She _wouldn't_. But where was she?

* * *

Tonks and Kingsley stood beside one another, talking about security measures for Hogwarts, when Tonks suddenly heard a noise. She spun to the side, her wand in her hand and ready to fight. They were on something of an incline so that they could see everything below them. Tonks's eyes lit up in surprise when she saw Riley storming up the hill, wearing a cloak and leather clothes.

"Riley!" Tonks yelled in delight. "Where have you _been_? Everyone's been –"

"_Petrificus Totalus!_"

A flash of blue shot through the air and hit Tonks, knocking her backward onto the ground and into a frozen position. Before Kingsley could draw his wand, a second shot of blue shot through the air and hit Kingsley, knocking him onto the ground, Stunned.

Riley walked right up beside them and glared down at them through narrowed eyes. She reached up with her right foot and kicked Tonks in the nose, causing her to feel unbearable pain as blood spurted out all over her. "Damn Aurors," Riley muttered, and then took off toward the castle.

* * *

All of a sudden, Aria felt a strange rush. She spun to the side just as a voice yelled, "_Crucio_!" and a blue flash shoot by her, just where she had been standing. Aria looked behind her, wide-eyed and blinked in surprise and delight when she saw a familiar person standing there.

"Riley!" she exclaimed, recognizing her friend.

Sure enough, Riley stood not far away, her wand in her left hand. She was wearing a black cloak, but it wasn't a Hogwarts cloak with a hood that hung down behind her head. It was just a normal cloak and she was also wearing a small, low-cut, black, leather haltertop and a black leather mini-skirt.

"Where have you been?" Aria exclaimed, walking closer. "_And what are you wearing?_" she asked in confusion. She shook her head, pushing the thought to the back of her mind, and she asked, "Why did you disappear for…"

"_Crucio_!" Riley yelled, pointing her wand at Aria.

The spell hit Aria with a surprisingly strong force. Aria let out a yell of undying pain. She had never known such an excruciating pain before. She felt as though every part of her body were on fire with hatred and death. When the spell released, Aria fell to her knees and was left panting.

Riley walked up to Aria and as Aria looked up at her, she realized with horror that Riley was staring down at her with dark, hateful eyes. "Where's Dumbledore?" Riley said sharply.

"What, what's going on?" Aria panted.

All of a sudden, the tip of Riley's wand touched Aria's forehead. "Tell me where Dumbledore is or I swear I'll kill you," Riley said darkly.

"What are you doing?" Aria exclaimed. "What's happened to you?"

"_Relashio!_" Riley was suddenly sent flying, knocking her wand out of her hand. Aria slowly got to her feet and turned her head to see Ginny walking over, her wand in her hand as she stared wide-eyed at Riley. "What's going on?" Ginny exclaimed.

Riley narrowed her eyes as she stood up. She held her hand out toward her wand and it suddenly came flying toward her. As soon as it touched her hand, Riley thrust her wand toward Ginny. "_Avada Kadavra!_"

Before the spell had a chance to cast, there was a green flash of light that hit the tip of Riley's wand, knocking it to the side. The spell hit the ground and burnt it like fire.

Aria, still filled with shock and confusion looked up to see Hermione and Ron running over, Hermione's wand out. She looked just as shocked. "Riley! _You just tried to kill Ginny!_"

"I know none of you, so stop acting like any of you mean anything to me," Riley said, sending a rush of shock through everyone.

"_What_?" Aria exclaimed.

"Something's wrong," Hermione said. "Someone's done something to her mind."

"Only that fool Dumbledore has done anything to me, and opposed my master," Riley said sharply. "He erased my memory and now I've come to avenge myself and my master."

"What are you talking about?" Aria exclaimed. "Dumbledore's our _friend_!"

Riley pointed her wand at Aria and Aria was suddenly hit with a spell, sending her flying and her body freezing. As Aria hit the ground, she heard Riley yell and then felt someone release the spell on her. As she got to her feet, she saw Hermione have her wand pointed down at Riley, who had fallen unconscious on the ground. Ginny had clearly released the spell on Aria.

"I, I don't understand," Ron stuttered, looking horrified. "What's going on? Why doesn't she remember any of us?"

Riley gritted her teeth, eyes blazing in anger as she stood up. "You don't understand, huh? Well, maybe this will jog your memory." She suddenly lashed her wand out at Ron and yelled, "_Crucio!_"

Ron was hit full-on with the spell, sending him crumbling to the ground and gripping at his head in pain as his body convulsed all over.

"_Ron!_" Hermione yelled in panic as she began to run toward Ron.

"Riley!" Aria yelled as she raised her wand. "_Petrifi-_"

"_Stop!_" Riley yelled as she raised a hand toward Aria. A forcefield seemed to erect itself around both Hermione and Aria, stopping both of them from moving any further. Hermione continued to stare at Ron in horror, Ron still convulsing everywhere.

Riley drew closer to Ron, still controlling the spell. "I think it's time to up the dose," she said, lashing out to the side with her wand. Ron's eyes shot wide open and he began to scream even louder. Hermione tried to walk closer, yelling out to Ron in panic, but it didn't do any good. The forcefield was too strong, too powerful.

Aria held her hands out to either side, focusing hard on the barrier. A moment later, the barrier itself seemed to melt away, the plastic melting backward. Once it was completely gone, Aria

"Someone has to find Professor McGonogall, and fast," Hermione said.

"I've got it," Ginny said. She raised her wand and said, "_Accio broom!_"

A few moments later Ginny's broom came flying toward her. she grabbed it, leapt up onto it and flew off.

Five minutes later, Ginny reappeared with Professor McGonogall, who stared down at Riley's body with shock and horror. "Is what Miss Weasley said true?" she asked. "Did she really use the Unforgivable Curses?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "She doesn't remember any of us and thinks that Dumbledore erased her memory."

"That's ridiculous!" Professor McGonogall exclaimed. She shook her head. "We must move her inside and find some answers. I'll send an owl to find Professor Dumbledore immediately."

So the four moved Riley into one of the dungeon cells at the bottom of the castle and chained Riley's wrists and ankles to handcuffs that were connected to chains that were hooked into the wall. But they set her on a chair connected to the floor in the center of the cell. She was in a cell that was lined with metal bars too thin to pass through, but thick enough that if they needed to, they could get out and be safe.

Professor McGonogall looked at Riley, looking utterly confused. "I don't understand what could have happened to her. She just disappeared a month and a half ago, and now returns with no memory of her friends." She looked at Ginny. "Miss Weasley, go find your brother and bring him here."

"Which one?" Ginny asked.

"Fred," Professor McGonogall said. "Perhaps he can help her remember once I release her from this sleeping spell."

"Right," Ginny said, turning and running away.

Professor McGonogall faced Aria and realized that she hadn't spoken since they'd brought Riley in. "Miss Hardwick, I realize how hard this must be for you, but I need you to come here."

Aria hesitated, then walked over, looking totally numb. Professor McGonogall then faced Riley and gave a wave of her wand, releasing the sleeping spell on Riley.

Riley's eyes slowly slid open. She blinked a few times, then looked around her. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Professor McGonogall and Aria. "You!" she spat at Aria. She glared at Professor McGonogall. "Who are you?"

"I'm Professor McGonogall," Professor McGonogall said.

Riley scoffed. "Should have known that these Hogwarts cowards would run to Dumbledore's right-hand-man until Dumbledore can get here. Well, good. The sooner Dumbledore gets here, the sooner I can _kill_ him."

Professor McGonogall blinked in surprise and pointed her wand at Riley's forehead. "_Legillimens!_"

Professor McGonogall suddenly gasped when she saw a flash of Voldemort for a mere second before it disappeared, to be replaced by darkness. Then she saw Riley smirking up at her.

"Fool," Riley sneered. "I'm a _master_ at Occlumency."

Professor McGonogall swallowed hard, knowing what had happened to Riley. "I think I know what's happened to her," she said. She pointed her wand at Riley and said, "_Stupefy_."

Riley's body suddenly went limp, her head hanging low. Professor McGonogall walked up to Riley, grabbed her by the left wrist, turned it over, pointed her wand at it, and ripped her wand right through the fabric, revealing her bare forearm.

Aria and Hermione suddenly gasped and Professor McGonogall realized with sadness that her suspicions had been right. Burned clearly into Riley's arm, was the Dark Mark.

* * *

Draco suddenly fell to his knees, grabbing his left arm as it seared in pain. He pulled his sleeve back and saw that his Dark Mark was bright and clear. He narrowed his eyes. Surely the Dark Lord wouldn't call him now. No. It didn't seer like that, and he couldn't hear the Dark Lord's voice call him like usual.

"_Ahhh!_"

Draco looked up and saw Crabbe and Goyle fall to their knees, grabbing their arms as well. He narrowed his eyes, an unnerving feeling. Something told him that it was Riley's Mark that had been called on. He turned to his teammates and said, "I've got to go. Crabbe, Goyle, come with me."

The two other Death Eaters followed him and they ran off.

* * *

Riley groaned loudly, her head back as Professor McGonogall released her from her grip. Professor McGonogall turned and looked at Aria, who had her hands clasped over her mouth and her eyes filled with horror.

Hermione looked shocked and horrified. "It's unbelievable."

Professor McGonogall closed her eyes, feeling the same way. "I'm sorry to say that it looks like You-Know-Who has erased her memory and converted her."

"You think Voldemort erased her memory?" Aria asked, looking confused.

"I'm not deaf," Riley snarled. "And how dare you say his name, you _filthy blood-traitor!_"

Professor McGonogall turned around and silently cast a numbing spell to put Riley to sleep. Her eyes closed instantly. Professor McGonogall turned and looked at Aria and Hermione, who looked even more shocked.

"To hear that word come out of her mouth," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I can't believe it. She's fought the Death Eaters for as long as I've known her, and to see the Dark Mark on her wrist…"

Professor McGonogall looked at Aria, who looked completely frozen. "I'm sorry, Miss Hardwick, but I think that Miss O'Malley's intentions when she returned were to kill Professor Dumbledore and anyone who tried to stop her."

Aria's eyes snapped shut and her body shook, as though trying not to cry.

"Professor!"

Professor McGonogall turned her head and saw Ginny, George and Fred Weasley running down the aisle toward the cell. Fred looked thrilled. "Is it true what Ginny said? Did you find her?"

Professor McGonogall nodded and held a hand up to stop him. "Yes, Mr. Weasley, but you'll find that she has changed in many aspects."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked, confused as he walked through the door. He looked curiously at Riley and raised his wand, releasing the spell on her. Riley's eyes slowly slid open again and Fred smiled. "Riley!" he exclaimed. "Where have you been? What have you…"

Riley suddenly opened her eyes as the spell seemed to release instantly. She opened her mouth and her teeth bared like fangs. She suddenly transformed and leapt out of her handcuffs, her claws unsheathed and outstretched at Fred as she barked violently. Caught in shock, Fred froze in his spot. Hermione raised her hand and unhappily shot a spell at Riley. The spell hit her head-on and sent her flying back up against the wall.

Fred spun around, facing Hermione wide-eyed. "You just _attacked_ her!"

"She's not the same person she used to be, George!" Hermione exclaimed, tears running down the corners of her eyes. "She's a _Death Eater!_"

Fred looked confused. "What are you talking about? Riley _hates_ Death Eaters!"

Professor McGonogall shook her head. "I'm afraid it's true, Fred. She has a Dark Mark on her left forearm to prove it."

Fred stood rigid, only to shake his head. "No," he said shakily. "I don't believe it." But as he stared at Aria, and saw the tears escaping the sides of her eyes, he knew it was true. He turned and looked back at Riley, who lay on the floor, her sides barely lifting. He slowly walked over and stared her in the eye. "Riley?" he whispered.

Riley's head suddenly up and she began barking, her eyes filled with hatred. Fred gasped as he took a step back. He looked at Professor McGonogall, who was staring regretfully at him. "How did this happen?" he asked, his voice cold and even.

"We don't know," Professor McGonogall said. "If I were to take a guess, I would say that the Death Eaters somehow lured her out and erased her memory. She claims that Professor Dumbledore did it to her, which makes me think that Voldemort is the one responsible for the brainwashing done to her. She now believes as they do, that we're the enemy and he's her master."

Fred felt like throwing up. "I can't believe it," he said.

George shook his head, looking ready to throw up as he looked at Riley through pain-filled eyes. "It's _so_ wrong."

Aria walked over beside him and looked at Professor McGonogall, bringing her hands down from her mouth. "Is there any way we can restore her memory?"

Professor McGonogall shook her head. "I don't possess that ability. Professor Dumbledore might be able to, but he won't be back for a while."

"Then I guess we'll keep her in here until he gets back," Fred said, looking sadly back at Riley, who lay on the ground, her eyes closed. He walked over to set his hands on the bars of the cage, looking at her with sad eyes. _Riley,_ he thought miserably. _What have they done to you?_


	40. Chapter 40: Escape!

A/N: To my most loyal readers:

pixiestixz: thank you so much for sticking by me and letting me know what you think. I hope you will continue reading and reviewing. i appreciate your thoughts and support more than you know.

TheBlackAndWhiteCat: I am verry grateful for your support as well. you're a newer reader, but i like your thoughts. this story should be over by the end of next week, just because i'm putting up so many chapters because i don't know when i will have access to a computer with internet again.

To everyone else that has read my story: I am grateful for your loyalty and support, and I hope that you continue to read in the future. reviews are always appreciated, and i hope that you continue to enjoy this story and all its weirdness. lol. please continue...

* * *

Chapter Forty: Escape!

"I don't believe this," Harry muttered under his breath, shaking his head in dismay. He was standing in McGonogall's office with his friends, Harry leaning back against her desk while running his hands over his eyes. "I just, I can't believe this is really happening."

"Any word on how Ron's doing?" Hermione asked, looking at Aria.

"Yeah. He'll be fine in a few hours, but he's sleeping right now," Aria muttered under her breath as she looked out the window, her voice showing absolutely no emotion. Her arms were folded, her shoulders hunched as she added, "Painkillers and exhaustion from being hit with the Curse. He'll be in a lot of pain for a while."

"I hope he'll be okay," Hermione whispered, clearly shaken.

"I care a lot about Ron, but I can't believe that's what you two are thinking about right now!" Harry exclaimed. "Riley is a Death Eater!"

"You think I don't know that?" Aria snapped as she spun around, her eyes blazing as she glared at Harry. "Don't think for a moment that you're the only person in this damn building who cares about her, Harry Potter! I've known Riley for the past twelve years, and she means a lot more to me than she does to you, so get off your high horse right now _and_ _just shut the hell up!_" (A/N: Okay, you won't see Aria cussing very often, because the person she's based on pretty much NEVER cusses. In fact, she used to ask me and a friend of mine to cuss for her, but that's an entirely different story altogether. There are only a couple of times when she'll do this, the other time happening in about ten chapters from now.)

Harry realized how insensitive he sounded, and he looked down at the ground, folding his arms as he muttered, "Sorry."

"Just..." Aria muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes before looking out the window. "Just shut up."

"Where's Fred, do you know?" Harry asked, looking up at Hermione. "He was really shaken."

"I think George took him away for a little while to try and calm him down," Hermione admitted with a helpless shrug. "But is there anything anyone could say to make this all right? I mean, it's like you said, Harry, she's a Death Eater. Even if it was after she lost her memory, she's a _Death Eater_. I don't even know if you can walk away from that."

"Sure you can, literally," Aria said with a careless shrug as she turned around, leaning back against the window sill. "After all, _Snape's_ not a Death Eater anymore."

"Or so he says," Harry pointed out gruffly.

"For argument's sake, say he is," Aria pointed out. "Karkaroff walked away..."

"But he died," Hermione pointed out. "He was gone for a year after Voldemort came back, but he did die."

"There has to be a way of getting her memory back," Aria said, shaking her head. "I mean, if she had her memory, I guarantee you she wouldn't

"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes at Aria.

"If Voldemort approached Riley after she lost her memory, Riley would be completely vulnerable," Aria explained. "I mean, think about it, is there any other time when you're more vulnerable than when you have no idea who you are? You believe what anyone tells you, which would explain why she thinks we're the enemy. Of course Voldemort would feed her lies about all of us being her enemy, because he views us as the enemy. He would have told her exactly what she needed to hear in order to be able to face us and attack us."

"We _have_ to find a way to restore her memory," Harry agreed. "That's the only way to get her back on our side."

"And what if she does get her memory back?" Hermione asked defensively. "Are we supposed to just forget everything that happened?" When Aria and Harry both looked at Hermione in disbelief, she exclaimed, "I'm sorry if you don't like what I'm saying, but it's true! She attacked us all, hit Ron with the Cruciatus Curse! How are we supposed to be able to just move on from that?"

"Because she's our friend."

Harry looked behind Hermione and saw Fred and George walking into the room with McGonogall. Fred's eyes were narrowed and filled with seriousness as he said, "She's our friend, she's been hurt, and we have to find a way to let her return to the life she's supposed to be living."

"Riley made a life commitment when she took on that Mark," Hermione insisted. "She had to have know what she was getting herself into."

"The Mark could have been forced on her, Hermione," Aria explained. "If Voldemort offered her the chance to join him, he could have watered down the truth about what she would be doing and committing to. Like I said, she was vulnerable, and now she's turning into his slave because she doesn't know anything else."

"It's brilliant, when you think about it," George said, surprising everyone. They all stared at him as though he was insane, and George pointed out, "Well, the fact that we've all paid the price aside, think about it: Riley's an incredibly powerful witch who's already proven herself to be capable of Dark magics. She's been on the Death Eater's radar since last year when she showed them up at the Department of Mysteries, and Bellatrix would take incredible pleasure out of brainwashing her after Riley had shown such conviction toward destroying her. Also, Riley would be a great asset to any team, no matter which side of the war she's on, so she would be an ideal target for this kind of brainwashing and conversion."

"Well, why not Aria?" Hermione asked in confusion. "She's almost as strong as Riley."

"You overestimate my abilities," Aria said, shaking her head.

"She doesn't mean as much to any of them as Riley does," Harry pointed out, understanding filling his voice. "Riley's parents were part of a team that was very similar to the Order, in that they were fighting Voldemort. Voldemort would find it amusing that he could turn the final survivor of that team, not to mention the daughter of its founders, into a helpless slave for himself."

"That's sick," Hermione said with a twisted face.

"That's the thinking of a Death Eater," McGonogall agreed.

"Also," Harry continued to say. "Aria has more of a level head than Riley. Riley's dedicated her life to one thing: destroying the people that destroyed her parents. While Aria may hate Dolohov for killing her parents, Riley goes into a blind rage when she sees Bellatrix LeStrange. It would be a lot easier to bait Riley out of the grounds and ambush her than it would Aria."

"I guess Riley's conviction also turned out to be her one weakness," Fred admitted half-heartedly.

"I've got to go to the bathroom," Hermione said, walking away. "I'll be back later."

"Me, too," Aria said as she walked off, leaving Harry alone with Fred, George and McGonogall.

"I guess the question is, what do we do now?" George asked as he looked at McGonogall.

"We need to wait until

All of a sudden, Harry heard a loud explosion. He turned his head, his eyes widening in alarm. "What was that?" he exclaimed.

"You all, stay close," McGonogall instructed. "It may be an attack, or it may just be an accident in the Potions classroom."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry and the twins said together, though Harry had a suspicion that it wasn't just an accident.

* * *

_**(Two minutes earlier, in the dungeon)**_

Riley opened her ice-blue eyes, cold and filled with anger. _Oooh, when I get out of here, someone will pay big-time, _she thought bitterly. _These chains are annoying, to say the least._

All of a sudden, there was a loud explosion as the bricks to the wall on her right suddenly blasted inward. Riley turned her head, feeling the debris hit her as an enormous hole broke out of the wall. When the rocks stopped flying, she looked back and smiled when she saw Draco walking inside, Chad not far behind her.

"Subtle, Draco," Riley said with a broad grin as she watched Draco step into the cell. Chad opened up the cell door and raced up the stairs,"How long do you think we have until they get down here?"

"Few minutes, at most," Draco admitted as he ran over and began to undo the chains around Riley's ankles and wrists. "Chad's going to go take care of the Aurors upstairs, and I've convinced my friends to lie about me being up there in the dorm right now, so the traitors will never know what I'm really up to."

Finally, Draco got the chains off of Riley's wrists and ankles, allowing her to stand up. When she did, she grabbed a hold of him by the neck and kissed him, long and hard. Draco grabbed onto her waist and kissed her back, only for Riley to pull back and smile as she said, "Your timing couldn't have been more perfect."

"Oh, I'm glad," Draco said with a smile. "Come on," he said as he led her out. "We have to get out _now!_"


	41. Chapter 41: Dumbledore's Gift

Chapter Forty-one: Dumbledore's Gift

"She _what?_" Harry exclaimed in disbelief as he stared at Hermione through wide, shocked eyes. The two girls had just approached him in the hallway and told him the news, and suddenly Harry didn't care about where he was at. In fact, he could barely think at all, let alone comprehend what the girls were telling him. "She _escaped?_ How could she possibly have escaped? No one knows she was even here, and she was in chains in a stone cell with two Aurors standing outside, guarding the place. How could anyone have gotten to her without being detected?"

"Remember that big explosion that we all heard about twenty minutes ago?" Hermione pointed out. "Well, someone blasted out the wall to the cell, attacked the Aurors and knocked them unconscious, and released Riley from her chains. No one knows how it happened, it just did."

"Did Riley somehow manage to blow it up?" Harry asked, trying to understand what they were saying.

"Not unless being a Death Eater has made her so dumb that she would blow the wall inward," Aria said, narrowing her eyes with a frown. "All of the bricks were lying on the inside of the cell, suggesting that the blast came from the _outside_ of the cell."

"So someone helped her?" Harry asked in confusion. "Are we suspecting Malfoy?"

"No, half a dozen Slytherins have admitted to seeing him in the common room during the explosion," Hermione admitted, though she didn't seem happy as she said this.

"Which doesn't let him off the hook for luring her out, but it does give him an alibi for this particular event," Aria pointed out.

"I don't believe this," Harry said, lowering his head and shaking it. "After we finally got her back, and after we learn the truth about where she's been, I can't believe that she's escaped, that someone actually _helped_ her to escape." He looked up at the girls and asked, "Well, she can't have gotten far, can she?"

"She's had twenty minutes on the rest of us," Hermione said with a helpless shrug. "That's long enough to get out of Hogwarts grounds, and as soon as she's outside of the barrier, she can Apparate to anywhere in the world. She's long gone by now."

"Has anyone told Fred about this?" Harry dared to ask, pretty sure he knew the answer right away.

"Ginny's talking with him now," Hermione said with a frown. "We figured it would come best from her."

"How do you all even know about this so quickly?" Harry asked in confusion as he looked between his friends.

"Oh, this isn't even the whole story," Aria said, shaking her head. "Only the tip of the iceberg."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Follow us," Hermione said, leading Harry and Aria away.

Harry followed his friends over to the Slytherin tower. He followed the girls up into the girls' dormitory, ignoring the no-boys-allowed rule, because frankly, he didn't care at this particular moment. He didn't care about anything other than getting his friend back. He was angry, confused, and filled with enough emotions to kill a herd of hypogriffs. When Harry stepped into the dormitory, however, he felt his heart stop.

The room was completely trashed. Books had been thrown in every direction, books ripped off of shelves, shelves thrown over, tables broken and the paintings pulled off of the walls and ripped in half. Everything that could have been moved _had_ been moved, and more specifically, broken. One bed, in particular, seemed to have endured the most destruction. The drawers to the nightstand had been ripped out and completely torn apart, the contents spilled out all over the ground. The pages of books near the bed had been shredded, thrown everywhere. The blankets and clothes on the bed and in the trunk had been tossed, leaving the entire place a complete disaster.

"What happened here?" Harry asked, looking around in disbelief. He took several steps to his right, looking around in horror and dismay.

"Looks like someone was looking for something," Hermione said with a shrug. "What that is? Who knows? We were walking down the hallway, completely stunned and horrified about learning about Riley, when Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson ran into us, completely freaked out. They showed this place to us. It was only a few minutes later that we heard the explosion."

"You don't know what they were looking for?" Harry asked in surprise.

"This is Riley's bed, I guess," Aria said, pointing to the one specific bed that had endured the most destruction. "My guess is that they were looking for something of hers, though I can't imagine what that might be."

Harry walked up to a picture that had was lying on the ground. Actually, it was one picture that had been ripped into two. As Harry picked the remains of the picture up, he put them together and saw that it was the picture Mrs. Weasley had taken over Christmas Break. Standing in it was Riley with Fred, Ginny, George and Riley, Harry, Ron and Hermione, all smiling at the camera. The picture had been ripped so that the picture of Riley was separate from the others, making it very clear what the intention of destroying the photo was.

"Looks like whoever did this wanted to make sure that we were all cut out of Riley's life," Harry said as he handed his friends the photo, only to pick up one of the shredded books. "Even if only in a photograph."

"And it's ripped right through Fred's face," Hermione said, sounding surprised. "Wonder if that was intentional, or accidental."

"Depends on who did it," Aria pointed out. "Anyways, this place is trashed."

"Girls, I would like to speak with Harry for a moment."

Harry turned around and blinked in surprise when he saw that Dumbledore was standing in the room, his hands folded behind his back while he looked at them patiently. Harry looked at the two girls, who looked around uncomfortably, only to nod to Dumbledore and walk off, leaving him and Harry alone.

"Professor?"

"Harry, I know that you're wondering about what's happened here," Dumbledore said, nodding to the room. "Your confusion is only natural. I feel that whatever Death Eater helped Riley to escape, also ransacked this room in order to find two things."

"So Professor McGonogall told you about what's happened?"

"Yes," Dumbledore admitted in a sad voice. "To my great regret. I feel that this ranks among the top regrets in my life, having lost such a magnificent girl to these sort of circumstances. That doesn't mean that I've given up hope, mind you, but I do not know of any way to revive her memory at this time, let alone of how to locate her. I have tried a locating spell, but it doesn't seem to have done any good. There is some force cloaking her presence, undoubtedly Voldemort's own power at work."

"You said that you think the Death Eaters were looking for two things," Harry said, looking at Dumbledore in confusion. "What do you think they were looking for?"

"These," Dumbledore said as he pulled his right hand out from behind his back, revealing a rather large leather-bound book with very detailed etchings in the cover. On top of the book was Riley's silver ring.

"What is this book?" Harry asked in confusion as he walked closer, getting a better look at the book.

"It's an heirloom passed through the women in Riley's family," Dumbledore explained. "As you know, Riley is a direct descendant of Rona Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin, and this book dates back to Rona. It's filled with the thoughts and memories of its owners, including Riley."

"Why don't you read it?" Harry asked anxiously. "It could tell us something about what's going on."

"I would if I could, but unfortunately, I cannot open it," Dumbledore explained. "This book is impossible for me to read. I am not a Parstlemouth, and therefore have no power over it. It will never show me its contents." He handed them to Harry and said, "Take them. They're yours now, until Riley returns."

Harry took the book and ring, looking at them before looking up at Dumbledore and asking, "What's so special about the ring?"

"I have told you about Horcruxes, Harry, and their purpose," Dumbledore explained. "It's only a guess, but I would say that Voldemort ordered Riley's rescuer to search this place for that book and ring, because he wants the ring for its connection to Rona Ravenclaw."

"If you didn't know that this would happen, how did you come to have these?" Harry asked, nodding to the ring and book.

"I took them into my possession shortly after Riley disappeared, having suspected that Voldemort was, in fact, behind the kidnapping," Dumbledore answered. "I knew it was only a matter of time before he learned about Riley's heritage, and her abilities as a Parstlemouth. To him, that ring is a sign of triumph and victory over his lineage, and I'm sure that if he could get his hands onto it, he would turn it into a Horcrux, just as he has with other items that held relation to great historical figures."

Harry hesitated before asking, "What do you think I can do with this stuff?"

"Keep the ring safe," Dumbledore instructed. "And learn how to open the book and discover its contents. I feel that if you do, you'll see your friend in an entirely new light, and a great deal of your questions regarding Riley O'Malley will be answered." With that, he turned around and began to walk away, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.

_I don't know what's in here,_ Harry thought uncertainly as he looked at the leather diary. _But I don't want to open this book, not yet. Something about it, it doesn't feel natural. It's clearly magical, and until I absolutely have to, I don't want to find out what's in it._ He looked up and thought, _I just don't know what to do anymore._


	42. Chapter 42: Torture To You

Chapter Forty-two: Torture To You

Ginny walked along the road of Hogsmeade, looking into all of the stores that she passed. Finally, she stopped at one with animals inside of the window, owls, rabbits, toads, rats, and cats. There were all kinds of animals, all of whom caught Ginny's attention, especially the cats. Owls, however, were always practical, and rabbits were cute. Toads and rats, however, were completely out of the question, especially after everything that Ron had gone through with Scabbers turning out to be a person. Debating between whether to spend all of her money on an animal, or whether to get some stuff from her brothers' store, Ginny found herself fumbling through her pockets, feeling her money underneath her fingers. The temptation was gnawing at her like a burr.

"Well, what have we here?"

Ginny spun around, her eyes wide when she saw Ginny standing in plain sight in the street, not even trying to hide herself from Aurors or the public. McGonogall herself was in town today, and yet Riley just stood there like she didn't have a care in the world. She was wearing her slutty outfit, but Ginny's eyes were focused on Riley's eyes, which were filled with malice, and yet the rest of her face was expressionless, just like calm person walking through town on a normal day. Riley drew closer to Ginny and looked in the window, her eyes not even focused on Ginny.

"Thinking of buying an animal, are we? Waste of money, if you ask me. I much prefer being able to just _transform_ into an animal. Being an Animagus has its benefits. Aurors here in Hogsmeade don't even look twice at an animal that walks by, not even wolves. Funny isn't it, how stupid people can be? And after all the money that the Ministry pays them to keep Death Eaters out." She shook her had and gave a "tsk, tsk" as she pulled her head back, smiling at Ginny through devious eyes. "Shame, huh?" She slammed her hand against the window, her arm right next to Ginny's neck on the other side of Ginny, and yet not touching her. "A Death Eater could just walk up and pick an innocent witch or wizard off of the street, and no one would ever have a clue."

"Riley," Ginny said stiffly, not moving for fear of being attacked. "I heard about what happened at Hogwarts the day before yesterday, how you got away."

"Eh, no skin off my nose," Riley said, shrugging as she looked away for a moment, and then looked back at Ginny, her face a mere few inches away from Ginny's. "Chains and torture aren't anything new to me, although, Dumbledore really needs to get over this whole 'good boy' act of his if he's going to torture his prisoners." She shrugged again. "Not that I really cared much."

"Torture may not be new to you, but this personality is," Ginny said, reaching back with her hand, slowly moving it toward her back pocket.

"Not really," Riley said. "I mean, I finally stopped acting like the tight-ass, goody-two-shoes that I've been told I was, always walking around like a self-righteous bitch." She shrugged and said, "I prefer being blunt and honest, especially..." She punched Ginny in the face and spun her around while she was reaching for her nose. Riley grabbed Ginny's wand from her back pocket and backed up, twirling the wand in her hand, between her fingers. "Blunt," Riley added, smiling in amusement as Ginny looked up at her, her nose beginning to bleed as she pulled her hands away. Riley tilted her head to the side, "Did you know that 'blunt' is one of the five forms of torture? There's blunt, cold, hot, sharp and..." She stopped and smirked. "Well, we don't usually need to reach a fifth, although it's so much more fun if you get there. The person then usually screams, which is so much fun to hear, don't you think?"

"You're sick," Ginny said, her eyes narrowed in anger. "You're not Riley."

"Well, actually I am," Riley said, then held her hands out in gesture. "But honestly, thank you. You know, everyone else has been all 'remember me, Riley' or 'don't do that, Riley!' or, my personal favorite, 'please, Riley, don't! Remember who you are!'" She shook her head as she chuckled, still twirling the wand in her hand. She narrowed her eyes as she looked into Ginny's. "It's so fun to hear them say 'please', especially when they know the pain's about to come." She frowned, anger rising in her eyes as though she was staring at something Ginny couldn't see. "And the 'remember who you are' part, well, that just pisses me off. I mean, how can I _possibly_ remember who I am?" she yelled angrily, kicking a wooden barrel beside the shop, surprising Ginny as it smashed into several pieces and spilled its contents all over the ground.

"Well, believe me when I say you won't hear that from me," Ginny said, her eyes narrowing in anger.

Riley tilted her head to the side and asked in an innocent voice, "What are you talking about? Who said that I came here to hurt you?"

"You're going to tell me that you didn't?" Ginny asked in disbelief.

"Nah," Riley said, shaking her head. "While I bet I could make you scream and beg, that seems so cliche. No," she said, looking at Ginny with a smirk. "I think I'm gonna drive you _mad_ first, you and the rest of those mindless rats you hang out with."

"Ginny, what's taking you so-" Harry said as he suddenly appeared from a store two buildings down, Hermione with him. Harry cut off his sentence when he saw Riley, his eyes widening in alarm. "Riley."

"Hi, Harry," Riley said in a bright and friendly voice. "What's up with you these days? Still hunting me down like a dog? How's that workin' out for ya?"

"Ginny, what did she do to you?" Harry asked sternly, his eyes still on Riley as he began to pull out his wand.

Riley gave a wave of her hand and Ginny's wand to the side, and Harry and Hermione's wands both suddenly went flying across the street, landing over fifty feet away and out of their reach. Their eyes widened in alarm and Riley held her hands out to the side in grief. "Why do they always reach for their wands? Do you _really _think I'm _that_ dumb?"

"Hey, what's going on out there?" a voice yelled. "Who's making all that-" Fred and George walked out of their shop, only to stop in their tracks when they saw Riley. Their eyes both shot wide open, but George yelled, "Tonks! Remus! Riley's here!" The two adults ran from the shop, but Fred's eyes were still wide open in shock as he stared at Riley, who now had a hand on her hip and the other hand rested at her side. Her eyes were narrowed with a devious gleam as she looked into Fred's horrified eyes.

"Riley," Fred whispered, barely loud enough to hear.

"Hey, love," Riley said, tilting her head to the side. "What's happenin'?" She looked over at Tonks and asked, "How's your nose, Auror? Finally get it mended? Shame. Thought the other look was so much more befitting you, seeing as you lot are nothing but mindless brownnosers."

"Riley," Tonks said as she took a step forward. "You need to-"

"Oh, shut up, you hag!" Riley snapped angrily, waving Ginny's wand at Tonks. Tonks was suddenly hit with a spell that sent her flying through the front window of the Weasley's store.

"Tonks!" Lupin yelled in alarm, running into the store.

"What the-" Fred began, his eyes filled with anger and shock. "Why would you-"

"Because I'm me," Riley said. "The _new_ me, and there's nothing you can do about it. So listen up, blood traitor." Everyone, especially Fred, shot their eyes wide in surprise to hear Riley talk that way. Her eyes narrowed to anger and resentment as she said, "Stay away from me. If I find out that any of you have tried to stop me, or the Dark Lord, you'll be a lot worse off than your younger brother." With that, she turned to Ginny and grabbed either end of the wand in either hand. She snapped it in half across her leg, and as she did, Ginny flinched. With that, Riley dropped the wand and smiled innocently as she said, "Tootles." With that, she pulled out her own wand and Disapparated, leaving the others alone in the street.

There were several moments of silence, before Fred said in shock, "I don't know who that was, but that wasn't Riley."

Ginny walked over to her wand - what was left of it, anyway - and picked the pieces up. She turned them over in her hands, feeling sad. She had loved her wand, felt apart of it. Now she would have to get a new one.

"We'll get you a new one, Ginny," Harry said as he walked up beside Ginny, setting a hand on her shoulder. "I can afford it."

"Thanks, Harry," Ginny said, trying to keep her cool. "But as much as this bothers me..." She looked up. "Riley does more. She threatened me, before any of you came out here." Everyone blinked in alarm as Fred and George drew closer. Ginny shook her head. "Riley threatened all of us if we tried to stop her and Voldemort, but no matter what we do, we haven't seen the last of her. She's going to come, and she's not going to stop."

"What do we do?" George asked, looking at his brother worriedly. Fred looked like he was ready to snap.

"Well, first we get Tonks to Hogwarts," Lupin said as he walked out of the store, concern on his face. "She'll be fine, with medical treatment. She's got a lot of glass in the cuts all over her body, but there's also the affect that the spell had on her. We need to get her taken care of now."

"Of course," Harry said, nodding. "If I give you the money, can you Apparate to Knockturn Alley and get Ginny a new wand?"

"I'll have to take Ginny with me," Lupin said. "Wands aren't just chosen. They choose their master."

"I understand," Ginny said, nodding.

Harry reached into his pockets and pulled out close to thirty Galleons. He handed the money to Lupin, who nodded and said, "This should be plenty for a good, sturdy wand." With that, he took Ginny by the wrist and said, "Inform McGonogall of what's happened. Let her know that I'll be sending more members of the Order to guard Hogwarts." With that, he and Ginny disappeared.

Harry turned to his friends, a look of concern on his face. "Ginny's right. We haven't heard the end of this, and next time, she'll be ready for us."

"What do you want to do?" Hermione asked. When the boys looked at her in surprise, she narrowed her eyes and said, "Riley tortured Ron and me the last time she was around. I want her back as much as you guys do, but if this new Riley is here to stay, I want to be ready to dish some payback."

Harry hesitated, and then said, "I think it's time to get the D.A. up and running again." He looked at Fred and George. "I'll talk to Dumbledore about letting you guys in."

"Right," Fred and George said in unison, and then Fred said solemnly, "I want her back, not dead."

"I understand," Harry said. "We're not here to kill, but to defend. We want the Death Eaters gone, and I'll give them strict orders not to attack to kill, but disarm and disable."

Fred nodded. "Right. We'll schedule the meeting for this time next week?"

"Works for me," Harry said. "We'll contact you later." With that, he nodded to Hermione and walked off. "We'll tell McGonogall and Dumbledore about Tonks. They'll get her some help."

Ginny and Lupin suddenly appeared in a dark, dank alley. Ginny looked around and realized that this must be Knockturn Alley, somewhere she'd never been before, but been warned to stay away from by her mom and dad. Ginny looked up at Lupin. "Where are we going?"

"To a shop called Witherwork's," Lupin said. "He tends to deal with the darker side, but he wouldn't dare close down, or turn us away. I'm not sure what happened to Olivander and made him close down after being open for so long and under such extreme pressures, but I know that Witherwork would never close down. War means wands, which means money. He won't turn us away because it means money, and this guy is as greedy as they come."

"Right," Ginny said, sort of understanding.

Lupin led the way through the town, and with a question gnawing at her mind, Ginny asked, "Lupin, was Riley right that you were the one who killed her brother?"

Lupin blinked in surprise as he looked down at Ginny. "She told you about Zack?" Ginny nodded, but said nothing. Lupin nodded and looked ahead as they cut behind a building, walking down a dark alley. "That's right," he said. "It was a normal day, middle of the month, and we got word from Dumbledore that it was time to suit up. He said a Death Eater was attacking an orphanage, that there was a chance that he was going after one of two living descendants of the O'Malleys. I was more than willing to go after them. I knew Riley's parents, and it was a tragedy what happened to them. I was more than willing to do whatever it took to protect their daughter. When we arrived at the orphanage, dozens of bodies were lying dead. We came in and found Zack standing over Riley's body, his wand pointed down at her. It was clear that she'd put up a struggle. I could tell by the necklace down on the ground, burning from a living flame, that she was experienced with magic and strong, but I had no idea what she was capable of, even at that age. When Dumbledore identified Zack as the second living O'Malley, we realized why he wanted Riley. He wanted his sister spared, but not enough that he was willing to defy Voldemort. He was about to use the Killing Curse when I attacked him. Mad-eye, Dumbledore and a woman named Anna Croft, were with me at the time, and we all worked to break up the Horcruxes, to destroy them. Finally, an inch away from death after all that pain, I finished Zack off. It took a basic spell, not even a Curse, but he died." His eyes half-closed. "It was the only time I ever killed anyone, but it was real. When Riley woke up, Dumbledore and I told her what had happened. She cried for hours, a small child with magical knowledge." He shook his head. "She never should have had to go through that, watching her brother go bad and turn on her, but she fought back. She was truly an amazing witch, even at the age of nine. She's grown even stronger, and now, she poses a great threat to us." He shook his head, dismay in his eyes. "I never thought it would come to this. All of these years, I've felt like I owe her my life, and now, she threatens to end mine. I can sense it. She no longer cares about life or death, just getting the job done. Voldemort has turned her into an ideal Death Eater. He's molded her into his, making her become what he wants her to be."

"Why her?" Ginny asked, confused.

Lupin shrugged. "I can't be sure, but the most obvious reasons that jump out to me are that she's an incredibly powerful witch, unafraid to use the Unforgivable Curses, and she seems to be able to figure _anything _out, given enough time. It may take her time, but in the end, she seems to understand _everything_, from Potions to perfecting spells. If she could create potions in just the right way, Voldemort could take out entire villages, towns, or could have the luckiest day of his life without failure. If any of that were to happen, we would be out before we ever entered the game. In battle, she's fearless, and if he wipes her mind of all friendship and connections, he creatures a machine who knows nothing about failure or incompletion. All that person knows..."

"Is success and victory," Ginny said, horrified as she finished Lupin's sentence. "He could get her to do anything without reservation."

"Exactly," Lupin said. "The others have reasons for following him. My guess is that Riley felt alone and lost when she lost her memory, and the first person there was Voldemort, who unmistakably took her memory in the first place. From then, she knew only what she wanted him to know, which was no comfort, no friendship, no happiness. All she was shown was to fight and kill, to do whatever it takes at any cost."

"Poor Riley," Ginny said in horror.

Lupin blinked. "Well, that was my opinion until Tonks got two beatings from Riley, and your brother was unmercifully tortured. Now, I know that she's your friend, but I've never heard of a spell for restoring a person's memory, so unless someone can come up with one, we're faced with only one option."

"Killing Riley?" Ginny asked in horror, her eyes wide as she looked at Lupin.

Lupin faced Ginny through narrowed eyes. "You need to get something straight, Ginny Weasley, and you need to do it fast. I know that Riley is your friend, but this is war, not just a play day. Riley isn't the person you once knew her as, and I doubt that she'll be coming back anytime soon. She is a tool of Voldemort, one that he treasures highly and is turning into the ultimate Death Eater. The chances are higher than not that she will have to be killed, because it's become apparent that Azkaban is completely useless. If we're lucky, she could be sent there or cured, but those are chances that rank less than one percent. Death is the only absolute with Riley, assuming that she hasn't created Horcruxes for herself already."

"She wouldn't!" Riley gasped.

"You don't know that," Lupin said, shaking his head. "Riley doesn't remember everything that happened with Zack anymore. She doesn't have a conscience, Ginny. She only knows the need for survival, for pleasing Voldemort, and that hunger could turn into madness before long, and that madness could lead her to do unthinkable things. She's already admitted to having killed."

"We don't know that," Ginny pointed out.

"But you're willing to believe anything if it means getting your friend back, no?" Lupin asked, and Ginny grew silent. Lupin's eyes narrowed. "When I thought that Sirius was a murderer, I was horrified, but I knew what had to be done, and we'd been best friends since before any of you were born. I was always on the lookout for him, prepared to kill him at any time, and yet in the end, we found out that he was innocent. Now, we know and have proof that Riley is a Death Eater."

"So was Professor Snape," Ginny pointed out.

"I understand that," Lupin said. "But Dumbledore believes in his allegiance, so I will, too, until the time comes for me to believe differently. The time is coming where we have to choose who to trust, Ginny, and you're going to have to make a decision about how far you're willing to go for those people."

Ginny suddenly felt very desperate and confused, only to think, _What happens when the people I trust most are the people who want to kill me? The people I love most become my enemies? What do I do?_


	43. Chapter 43: Riley's Snakish Memories

Chapter Forty-three: The Truth about Riley

* * *

Dumbledore thought that the book would be of some use to Harry. What? Harry couldn't say. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking down at the leather book with uncertainty. He stared at the etchings of a raven with a snake wrapped around it, an R and S written together. It looked like an enormous diary, but something about it felt much older than Riley was. What could be inside? He'd been avoiding opening up the book for as long as possible, but since seeing Ginny's terrified reaction to being cornered in the middle of Hogsmeade earlier that day, Harry realized that anything he could learn would be worth the risk.

Harry ran his fingers over the leather, looking for some kind of lock, and was surprised to see that there was a lock/rope type of thing around it, also appearing to be made of leather, but it was in the shape of a bunch of snakes wrapped around one another. As Harry examined the entire book, he realized that there was no way to get the snakes off of the book, to unite it. It was sealed shut.

Then Harry remembered what Dumbledore had told him. "This book is impossible for me to read. I am not a Parstlemouth, and therefore have no power over it. It will never show me its contents."

Harry looked down at the leather book, staring right at the raven and snake. He hesitated, not sure of what to do. Then he said in Parstletongue, "_I don't know if you can understand me, but if you do, open up and show me what Riley put into you._"

Harry's eyes widened in alarm when the snake-like binding around the book began to move, unraveling itself and sinking into the book itself. Before Harry could even reach out to open the book, the cover flung open and the pages seemed to fly across it, each blank. It stopped halfway through the book, and remained still. Harry wasn't sure of what to do, but decided to set his right palm against the pages, hoping that something might happen.

Something did.

Harry suddenly felt a force unlike anything he'd ever felt before burst into his body through his hand, causing his head to thrust back. His eyes began to glow, as did the pages of the book, as images suddenly began flashing through his mind. He lost sight of the room around him, but instead felt himself tunneling through an endless tunnel and suddenly being thrown into a very small room.

* * *

The first thing Harry noticed was a small girl with mid-back length brown hair sitting in the far corner of the room on a bed, her knees pulled up to her chin and her arms set between her knees and her chest, held close and tight. Her head was lowered, her hair falling so that Harry couldn't see her face. The room was almost completely empty, except for a single wooden trunk at the end of the girl's twin-sized bed. The girl was wearing a baggy black T-shirt and jeans that looked far too big for her, and similar black jeans, nothing extravagant, even for a child of her age. There weren't any windows in the room, no desk, chairs or closet. The door to the room was open, but there was no one outside, and the girl didn't seem interested in moving at all. She was huddled up, looking almost afraid.

There was a sudden noise, but the girl didn't react at all. She just continued to keep her head lowered, looking down at her hands. The sound grew louder, and Harry realized a moment later that it was the sound of feet coming up a wooden staircase.

"Who's that?" a young, quiet female voice asked curiously.

Harry turned his head and saw that there were two people standing right outside of the room, looking in. One was a middle-aged woman with brown and grey hair that was pulled neatly back in a bun. She was wearing a green dress that fell to the floor. Holding onto her hand was a small girl with darker skin and curious brown eyes. Her black hair was cropped in a way that was very becoming on a girl of her age. She was staring into the room curiously, her head tilted to the side. Looking at those eyes, Harry realized instantly that this must be a much younger version of Aria.

"Riley O'Malley," the woman said quietly, almost too quiet to understand. "One of our more interesting orphans." She said the word with something of disdain and fear in her voice. "I wouldn't bother her, if I were you. There have been many accidents around her, and she's hurt many of the other children."

Riley? Harry thought in surprise, looking back at the girl. She couldn't have been older than six, but there was no mistaking the way that the girl was sitting. This was definitely Riley, though Harry realized that it was easy to think that it _wasn't_ her because of the way that she was dressing. While she hadn't been into skin-tight clothes before joining the Death Eaters, she'd never worn clothes this baggy before. Still, she didn't move, didn't respond in any way. She just continued to sit there, huddling like a frightened animal.

"I don't mind. Can I meet her?" the small girl asked, ignoring the woman's previous statement.

The woman didn't look happy and hesitated before saying a little more loudly, "Riley?"

Harry looked over at Riley to see what she would do, but was surprised when he saw that the younger version of Riley wasn't responding in any way. She just continued to stare down at her hands, as though she hadn't heard the woman at all.

"Riley!" the woman insisted, sounding very angry. "Don't be rude. This is Aria Hardwick, and she would like to meet you."

"Get out," Riley said in a low, dark voice that shocked Harry. He'd never heard her speak like that, so darkly and almost demonically. As he watched her, he saw that her head slowly began to rise, her hair flat and hanging against her head and over one side of her face. Her one visible eye was dark and filled with anger, almost madness. They were filled with a hatred unlike any Harry could remember having seen in anyone, not to mention a six-year-old. She stared at the woman with a look of pure hatred, as though she wanted to kill her then and there.

"What did you say?" the older woman stammered, sounding afraid again. Harry looked over at the older woman and saw that she was staring at Riley with eyes wide with horror and fear, while Aria just continued to look at Riley curiously. The older woman pointed at Riley and yelled, "Speak English, girl! _Now!_"

"_I said to get out!_" Riley suddenly screamed, loudly and angrily, and before anyone could do anything, the door slammed itself shut.

Harry looked at the young version of Riley, surprised to see just how powerful and in-control she seemed to be, especially for someone so young. He had guessed before that she'd always been strong, but looking at her now, he couldn't help but think of how Voldemort had confessed to hurting people who had hurt him when he was younger and in an orphanage very similar to this one. They weren't that different at that age, Riley and Voldemort. _From the looks of this memory, though, _he thought in dismay, _Riley didn't leave this room at all._

Almost instantly, the scene began to change, and before Harry knew what was going on, he heard screams. He spun around to see that he was in a completely different room, a large room that had several doors surrounding it, and a staircase leading downward on the far side of the room. Harry saw that people were running from the room, both adults and small children, a swarm of snakes slithering all over the place. Harry was standing in a dark grey stone-walled room, the same type of building that he'd been in before, but this seemed to be the common room. Harry saw that the young version of Riley was once again standing in the room, but this time wearing a big and baggy sweatshirt instead of just a T-shirt. She was facing a cobra more than twice as large as most of the cobras in the room, pulling itself up to stand about four feet higher than Riley was tall. She was staring up at it through narrowed eyes, her own cold and determined.

"_Get out of here!_" Riley said angrily. "_I didn't tell you to come here._"

"_My children heard your curses_," the snake hissed. "_They told me what you were thinking, what you wanted to happen to these people._"

Harry blinked in surprise as he watched the snake and human talk together, each looking and sounding so comfortable with one another, and yet Riley looked angry. Did they know each other? Instantly, Harry realized that hew as witnessing Riley's capabilities as a Parstlemouth, and he realized that she must have been screaming in Parstletongue earlier, and that was why the woman had been so scared. She couldn't understand her.

"_I was angry, but I didn't tell them to attack anyone,_" Riley snapped, shaking her head while her eyes blazed angrily. "_Because of you, I may be kicked out of here for good._"

"_And you don't want that?_" the snake asked, sounding almost surprised.

Riley hesitated before saying, "_I don't have anywhere else to go, Rajin. Now, get out of here, and don't come back._"

"_No,_" the snake hissed in defiance. "There are too many delicious humans around here to leave, and now that my children have begun to feast, they won't stop."

"_They will if you tell them to_," Riley pointed out. "_I know you and them well enough to know that much, Rajin._"

"_But I don't want to tell them to stop,"_ the snake hissed back. "_You see, it's been so long since I've had the fresh blood of humans. I've been living on nothing but rats and vermin for so long, I have no intention of leaving any time soon._"

"_I don't care what you want,_" Riley snapped furiously. "_I told you to get out._"

"_And what will you do if I don't?_" the snake retorted. "_Will you attack me? You don't have the power to take me down, child._"

"_You may be able to dodge her attacks, but you can't dodge both of us,_" a second voice said in an equal hiss.

Harry saw the snake's head spin around in alarm, and Harry took a few steps to the side to see that Aria was standing on the other side of the snake, her hands held up defensively, as though ready to attack him. She was wearing a grey T-shirt and zip-up jacket and blue jeans, glaring at the snake.

"_You speak my language as well, child?_" the snake asked in surprise. "_How interesting._"

"_You!_" Riley hissed, her eyes wide in shock as she stared at Aria.

"_That's right, snakey_," Aria said as she began to round on the snake, ignoring Riley. "_Take one more bite at anyone else in here, and you'll feel both of us and our attacks on your slimey scales_."

The snake looked back and forth between Riley and Aria, as though contemplating what to do. Finally, it hissed, "_You two won't be able to do anything to me. I've survived the attacks of real witches and wizards before, and this time will be no different._"

"Oh, yes it will," Aria hissed. She suddenly thrust one of her hands forward, and the snake let out a loud and furious hiss as a large gash opened up across its eyes. It let out a horrifying sound as it flung its head back and forth, spraying blood in each direction. Aria turned her head and looked at Riley, who was still staring at her in shock. "Help me out, O'Malley!" she yelled in English.

Riley still didn't move as she stammered, "But you -"

"Shut up and help me already!" Aria yelled, her eyes blazing. She raised a hand and pointed her right palm at Riley. "Unless you want him to get away and hurt everyone."

Riley hesitated, only to raise her left hand to point it right at Aria's right hand, which was aimed toward Riley's outstretched hand while aiming their other hands right at the snake, creating something of a triangle. Then, in unison, they suddenly snapped their hands to the side, both glaring at the snake as a surge of power suddenly shot from the hands aimed at the snake. The energy hit the snake right in the chest and caused it to hiss loudly, convulsing before it fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. Harry looked back at the girls and saw that Aria was walking toward Riley, a curious look on her face.

":You, you can talk to snakes, too?" Riley asked, staring at Aria through wide eyes filled with shock.

"Yeah," Aria said with a nod as she walked over. "For a couple of years now. What about you?"

"All of my life," Riley said uncertainly. "But everyone, they think I'm a freak."

"Nah, you're fine," Aria said, shaking her head dismissively. "You've just got a lousy attitude, that's all."

Riley hesitated before asking, "Who are you?"

"Aria Hardwick," Aria said, holding her right hand out to Riley.

Riley stared at Aria in silence for a moment before Aria, glancing from her hand to her face through narrowed eyes filled with dislike. She didn't bother to say anything in return, only turned around and walked away in silence.

All of a sudden, the scene changed again, and Harry was once again in the center room listening to screaming. This time, however, he saw the bodies of people lying all over the room, dead bodies or seriously injured people. Harry's eyes widened in horror when he recognized Aria lying in the corner, blood draining from the side of her face, her stomach and her upper right arm. She was gripping at it with one hand, the other holding onto her bleeding knee. She was covered almost completely with blood that Harry guessed was her own, her head leaning back against the wall as she sat unconscious.

"Do you have any idea how much energy I've been putting into my search for you over these past several years, little sister?" a voice asked impatiently.

Harry turned his head and was surprised when he saw a young Riley again. This time, she was older than before, at least nine. She was wearing a black tanktop and blue jeans, once again very baggy on her, but more like herself these days. She was huddled into one of the corners of the room, staring up at someone with her eyes shaking in horror. She had several scratches all along her arms, her face and her legs, ripping right through her clothes. The jeans she was wearing were shredded and now covered in her own blood. Standing in front of her, hovering over her, was a boy who looked to be almost six feet tall. He had sandy blonde hair, dark eyes, and bore a striking resemblance to Riley's father, Stephen O'Malley. He was wearing a black robe, the same kind of robe that Death Eaters wore. He was holding his left arm out, wand pointed right at Riley's forehead. Harry's suspicions were confirmed when he saw that the Dark Mark was tattooed on the inside of his left arm, and as Harry moved to look at the boy, remembered that at the time, Voldemort was nothing but a memory, an essence to be forgotten. The boy seemed to be only fourteen or fifteen, an extremely young age for a Death Eater. The boy's eyes were dark and firm as he stared down at Riley, who was looking up at him in horror.

"Zack," Riley whispered, her voice trembling as she looked up at the tall man.

"Shut up, little sister!" the boy snapped angrily.

Zack! Harry stared at the boy in surprise, realizing why the two looked so similar. This was her older brother, the one who had betrayed her and tried to kill her.

"Join us," Zack said in a rough voice, his eyes narrowed down at Riley. "Join the Dark Lord, little sister, and you will live, and become even greater than our stupid parents."

"No!" Riley yelled defiantly, shaking her head. "Our parents were _good_ people. They would _never_ have joined Voldemort."

"Don't say his name!" Zack yelled angrily, and he gave a wave of his wand. A huge gash appeared across Riley's stomach, and she let out a loud scream as she leaned forward and grabbed at the wound. Harry watched with horror, mortified to see an older brother attacking his younger sister, a defenseless girl. Then, Harry saw something that both surprised him and made him feel proud.

Riley looked up, her eyes narrowed and angry as she focused on Zack. Three large gashes suddenly ripped out across Zack's chest, the power of the attack knocking him backward and onto the ground. "Get away from me!" Riley yelled angrily with incredible ferocity. All of the windows around them suddenly broke inward, the glass shooting in every direction and all over the bodies. "You're not my brother! You betrayed our parents, the Black Ravens! Go back to Voldemort, you stupid Death Eater!"

Zack looked up, looking both angry and hurt as he raised his wand toward Riley. In spite of his bleeding, he said in a low voice, "Very well, little sister. Die like our dead parents, pathetic cowards. _Avada-!_"

"Stop!" a familiar voice suddenly yelled.

Harry turned his head and saw with surprise that Lupin, Dumbledore and Snape suddenly stormed into the room, Lupin at the front. Lupin gave a snap of his wand and sent a spell flying across the room, hitting Zack in the chest and sending him flying backwards and through a window. Zack's wand fell as he flew through the air, only to disappear as he fell down.

Harry flinched, staring in shock. He looked over at Lupin and saw his face fall with horror and regret instantly. Dumbledore set a hand on Lupin's shoulder and said reassuringly, "It's done, Remus. You saved the girl." He looked across the room and said, "Severus, take care of the ones that can be saved."

"Yes, sir," Snape said as he began to move across the room and toward Aria.

Harry watched as as Dumbledore began to walk over to Riley, who was still sitting on the ground, trembling while she stared with wide eyes filled with horror. She stared at the window that Zack had flown through, only to look up and gasp when Dumbledore reached her.

Dumbledore walked up to Riley and knelt down, looking Riley in the eye. "It's okay, child," he said gently as he reached out a hand. Riley gasped, her eyes trembling and her body huddled up into the corner. She pulled her knees up against her chest, turning her head away in an attempt to keep Dumbledore from touching her. Dumbledore seemed to understand, and he pulled his hand back. "My friends and I won't hurt you," Dumbledore insisted quietly.

"I don't believe you," Riley said, shaking her head while staring up at Dumbledore in panic. "You killed him. You killed my brother!"

Harry saw Lupin look even more sick and regretful, and he noticed for the first time just how healthy Lupin looked, much better and less ragged and scarred than Harry had ever seen. Harry couldn't blame Lupin for feeling this way, having just killed the only sibling Riley would ever have.

Dumbledore said calmly, "I'm sorry, child, but he would have killed you. There are some things that you just have to do, and you can't stop."

Riley looked past Dumbledore and over at Aria, who Snape was heading toward. Before Harry knew what had happened, Riley's body suddenly disappeared, and he heard her say loudly from behind him, "Get away from her!"

Harry spun around and blinked in surprise when he saw that Riley was standing between Aria and Snape, her arms stretched out in either direction as she glared defiantly up at Snape, who was standing only a few feet away from Aria. The glass shards all over the room suddenly began shaking, rattling as Riley's anger obviously rose.

Snape narrowed his eyes even more and said, "Dumbledore."

"Riley," Dumbledore said in a warning tone. "You have to calm down, or someone else will get hurt. Now, let Severus help your friend."

"How do you know my name?" Riley snapped, glaring up at Dumbledore, the glass shards still rattling threateningly.

"I know a great deal about you," Dumbledore said gently. "And your family. I've been looking for you for several years. I also know that you don't want Miss Hardwick to die."

Riley looked back at Aria, only to glare up at Dumbledore and say, "You killed my brother. Why should I believe that you'll help Aria?"

Dumbledore smiled and said gently, "Trust me, Riley. I have no intention of hurting your friend, or allowing her to be hurt any more. Your parents were friends of mine, as were hers. I don't want anything to happen to her ever again."

Riley hesitated, glaring between Dumbledore and Snape. Finally, the glass shards stopped rattling, lying still on the ground. Riley took several steps away, allowing Snape to step in and take a look at Aria. As he did, the scene suddenly changed.

All of a sudden, Harry was standing in a dark room. It was the orphanage again, Riley's room. This time, she was once again older. Harry was standing across from Riley, facing her with only a table between them, the only addition to the room since she had been six. If Harry had been forced to guess, he would have said that Riley was twelve or so, because she looked to be about the same age as he and his friends had been during their second year at Hogwarts. Riley was wearing a black robe over her clothes, her hands rested beside several vials that were placed near a cauldron that was also on the table.

Riley grabbed one of the potion vials, waving her hand over the cauldron and its bubbling contents as she poured the contents in. She stared down at a book and read aloud, "'Potion that separates day from night, Drink the day and leave the night to fight'." The contents of the cauldron changed from green to black

"Riley?" a familiar voice said. Harry turned his head and saw Aria entering the room. Her hair had grown out so that it was just past shoulder-length, and her brown eyes widened with alarm when she saw what Riley was doing. "Riley, no!" she yelled in panic. She took a step forward, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.

"_'Ambitio'!_"Riley yelled. "'_Atter corvus corax dzimis!'_"

"Riley, no!" Aria repeated, even more loudly.

Riley suddenly dipped her left hand into the cauldron and pulled it out, her hand now covered in a black liquid. She dug her nails into her right forearm, and the black liquid seemed to be absorbed right into the skin, disappearing from Riley's hand completely. Riley thrust her head back, screaming loudly as the potion sunk into her skin. Harry could feel a pain unlike any he'd ever felt before in his life. If he had control over his legs, he would have fell to his knees and gripped at his head, but he suddenly couldn't move. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. Riley continued to scream, obviously filled with painful, exhilarating agony.

Aria couldn't even scream as she watched in horror, seeing the shape emerge from Riley's skin. Harry recognized it after a moment. It was the tattoo, the raven with its wings spread out, and its red eyes glaring right at him like it was staring at him.

Then, it was over.

Riley stumbled forward, gripping at the table so as to support herself. The forcefield dropped instantly and Aria ran over, yelling out Riley's name. Riley's body shook and she felt her knees tremble, and her emotions transferred to Harry.

"Riley!" Aria yelled in panic as she ran up to her friend and supported her. "Riley, what did you do?"

Riley, who was looking up with wide, hungry eyes said in a dark, sickly tone, "It's done." She raised her right arm and looked down at the black and red raven on her forearm. She let out a loud, menacing laugh as she said, "I really did it."

Aria grabbed onto Riley's forearm, looking down at it in horror. "Riley, why?" she exclaimed. She looked up at Riley and asked desperately, "Can't you do something to get it off?"

"You know I can't Riley," Riley said with a sick smirk on her face. "Besides, I wouldn't want to, even if I could. I'm really one of them now. I'm really a Black Raven. They're not gone anymore. Now, my parents' legacy will live through me."

"_Why?_" Aria repeated, sounding even more desperate. "This isn't funny, Riley! This isn't some stupid fanfic or a comic book! This is real life, and you could have been seriously hurt! We don't even know if this thing is for real, or if it'll do something to hurt you later on!" (A/N: I'm sorry, I just had to put that in. I found it too funny to not.)

Riley snatched her arm away as she glared at Aria in annoyance. "I'm aware of that, Aria," she said impatiently. "But I don't care. Some things are worth getting hurt for, or even dying. I'm willing to take that chance."

"You're twelve, Riley, not thirty!" Aria exclaimed. "We're not even in school yet, and you're already practicing Dark magics? You're of no use to the outside world until you're out of school, at least!"

"That's not true," Riley argued defiantly. "As long as I continue to learn how to fight the Dark forces, I'm an asset. When I go out into the real world, I'll show the Dark forces out there just how capable I am, and what I'm capable of."

"You're going to fight Dark magic by doing Dark magic?" Aria retorted. "Everything that you just did was Dark Magic, Riley! You're not _fighting_ them, you're _using_ them!"

"You can't fight Dark magic until you've tasted what it's like," Riley said defiantly as she walked up right in front of Aria, her own eyes blazing.

"Oh, really?" Aria asked fiercely, glaring up into Riley's eyes and showing no signs of intimidation. "And what does the Dark side taste like, Riley?"

Riley narrowed her eyes, which filled with malice and madness as she said in a low voice, "Unlike anything you can imagine."

The scene suddenly changed again, but this time, Harry saw that he was standing in the courtroom of the Ministry of Magic. He saw that Riley was standing in the center of the room, her hands folded behind her back patiently. She was wearing a black tanktop again, as well as black jeans. Her eyes were half-closed as she stood there in silence, the seats of the courtroom completely filled. As Harry looked up and around, he saw with surprise that he recognized almost every person in here from his own court trial. Madam Bones, Cornelius Fudge, and – his blood boiled – Dolores Umbridge. A man with pale skin, dark brown hair and dark eyes, stood at the head of the courtroom, and Harry guessed that he was the Minister of Magic.

"Riley Rona O'Malley," the Minister said aloud. "You have been brought forward today on accounts of murder." Harry's eyes widened in alarm, only to remain silent as he listened to the Minister continue to say, "You've been charged with the murder of Evan Colridge. How do you plead?" (A/N: Okay, I'm almost 100% positive that I explained how Riley was expelled from Durmstrang, but for the life of me, I cannot find it anywhere, so I'm having to come up with a random name. If someone can tell me what chapter or the real name, I'll happily change it. Thank you.)

"Not guilty, sir," Riley said clearly, her voice strong. As Harry looked into her eyes, he saw that they had opened up to normal size and filled with confidence.

The Minister narrowed his eyes in displeasure and said, "Miss O'Malley, you were found arguing with young Mr. Colridge in the forest. It's been noted that you were chronically teased by Mr. Colridge for your rather unique abilities, giving you plenty of motive for revenge."

"Please clarify, sir," Riley said politely, but in a stiff voice. "To what abilities are you referring, as my teachers say that I possess many unique talents?"

The Minister narrowed his eyes even more and asked, "You are a Parstlemouth, are you not?"

Riley didn't hesitate or rush to say calmly in response, "Yes, sir, I am. Every woman on the maternal side of my family for the past four generations has been a Parstlemouth."

There were several gasps from the members of the court,m and Harry saw that Umbridge looked furious and disgusted.

"Was it not a snake that killed Mr. Colridge?" the Minister asked.

"Yes, sir," Riley said, once again politely. "I do not deny that I was upset about Evan making fun of me, as he saw fit to do so since the beginning of the year. I was upset and sitting in the forest, only to be horrified when I saw a snake emerge from behind a tree, only to wrap itself around Evan and choke him to death.

"So you, in no way, encouraged this snake to attack Mr. Colridge?" the Minister asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, sir, I did not consciously encourage the snake to attack him," Riley answered.

"Minister," Umbridge said in her high, sweet tone.

The Minister turned his head and asked, "Yes, Dolores?"

Umbridge stood up and looked down at Riley through disgusted eyes as she said, "It is common knowledge that Parstlemouths can control snakes by a matter of emotion. A silent command through their minds and emotions can manipulate a snake to do whatever the Parstlemouth wishes."

"That does not necessarily mean, Dolores, that this girl _controlled_ the snake," another woman from the judges pointed out.

"And how do you come across that conclusion, Dextra?" Umbridge asked sweetly as she looked over at the woman with an impatient look on her face, one that Harry had seen many times while she'd worked at Hogwarts.

A woman with long, bleach-blonde hair stood up and faced Umbridge as she pointed out, "Yes, it is common knowledge that Parstlemouths can encourage snakes to act out by their emotions, but that is not to say that this girl controlled the snake or encouraged it. If she was feeling panic or fear, or even anger, the snake could have taken those feelings as it own, and attacked the boy out of a false sense of necessity."

"Nevertheless," a man said, speaking up for the first time. "A boy is dead, and just must be served.

"Then let it be taken out on the snake," a second woman, one with red hair and green eyes, spoke up defiantly. "After all, it was not the girl, but the snake, that attacked the boy."

"Justice must be served," the man repeated, looking down at Riley with a look similar to Umbridge's. "And we do not carry out our laws on reptiles, only those that control them. This excuse of Dextra's is merely that, an excuse and bait for time. It is only too convenient."

"It's nonsense, is what it is!" Umbridge exclaimed. "It's because of this girl that the boy is dead, and therefore, there should be no other sentence for her than a lifelong term in Azkaban, along with the rest of those freaks and criminals."

There were several gasps of shock, and looks of dismay passed toward Umbridge. The Minister said in surprise, "Dolores, that seems a bit extreme for this case."

"Rubbish!" Umbridge insistent indignantly. "A boy is dead and this girl is the reason why. There is no other alternative."

"Dolores," Dextra said in a calm voice as she narrowed her eyes at Umbridge. "Your conviction wouldn't have anything to do with your personal distaste for people who have abnormal and animalistic abilities, does it?"

There were several murmurs of surprise from the group of court members, and Harry saw Umbridge puff up in anger, trying to make herself look taller as she said, "You can' hardly consider Parstlemouths equal to _normal_ witches and wizards."

This brought even more murmurs from several people around the room, and Harry felt ready to slug the overweight, pink toad.

Dextra faced the Minister and said, "Minister, council members, I move to have Dolores Umbridge removed from this case."

"I beg your pardon!" Umbridge exclaimed indignantly.

Dextra glanced at Umbridge as she continued to say, "- Under grounds of being biased and unfair in her opinion." When everyone stared at her in amazement, Dextra stared at Umbridge and said, "The position of courtroom members is to be impartial and to judge each case fairly, not on a personal bias." She looked around and said, "If Dolores Umbridge is unable to judge this case fairly, she does not fit to work on it."

"Parimont, surely not!" Umbridge exclaimed, looking up at the Minister desperately.

The Minister shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Dolores, but you _are_ being biased here, and that's hazardous to the case. Once the motion is made, then it _must_ come to a vote. It is out of my hands now." He looked around and asked, "All in favor of having Dolores Umbridge removed from this case?"

Harry was happy to see that almost every hand in the room – other than the man who had spoke in favor of Riley's execution – was raised. The Minister nodded and said, "You may leave the court room, Dolores. You will be notified of when you may return."

Dolores looked redder than Harry could ever have remembered seeing her, the discoloration clashing majorly with her pink cardigan, which showed underneath her robe. She gathered her stuff and stormed out of the room, leaving them behind without saying a single word.

The Minister looked down at Riley and asked, "Do you have anything to add in your defense, Miss O'Malley?"

"No, sir," Riley said with a shake of her head.

"Very well," the Minister said, nodding slightly. "Then it's time to come to a vote. All who believe that Miss Riley Rona O'Malley is guilty of murder and should be punished accordingly, please raise your right hand."

Only the man who had opposed Riley earlier raised his hand.

The Minister nodded and said, "All who believe that she should be expelled from Durmstrang Academy?"

This time, almost every hand raised. Harry had expected this, but at the same time felt that it was critical and unfair. Still, he was glad, because if things hadn't happened the way they had, he wouldn't have the two good friends that he had now.

The scene suddenly changed, and Harry found himself in a low-grade hotel room. He saw Riley (once again older) sitting on the edge of one of the two full-size beds, Aria sifting through her trunk, which was at the end of the second bed. Riley was wearing a black tanktop and jeans, her leather jacket lying on the pillow of the bed she was sitting on. She was leaning forward, her elbows rested on her knees. Judging by the ring on her finger, Harry guessed that this was just after the TriWizard Tournament. To confirm his suspicions, he noticed Sunny sitting in a cage on the far side of the room.

"Thanks for stayin' with me, Aria," Riley said in a sigh, looking up at her friend from where she'd been focusing on rotating her ring around her finger.

Aria smiled over at Riley and said with a small smile, "No problem, Riley. If nothing else, you keep my life interesting."

Riley laughed and admitted, "Well, it hasn't been _un_-interesting."

Aria laughed and shook her head. "After all of this time, I've pretty much learned to just go with the flow of things."

Harry heard a knock on the door, and turned his head to look at it at the same time as the girls. Aria blinked in surprise and voiced Harry's own surprise as she said, "Wonder who that is."

"Dunno," Riley said, shaking her head as she reached into her own trunk, pulling out a Butterbeer. "Go check it out."

"Lazy wolf," Aria muttered, kicking Riley playfully in the shins as she passed her.

Riley smiled, but didn't say anything as she popped the top of the bottle and took a long drink. Aria walked up tot he door and opened it, saying in surprise, "_Professor Dumbledore?_"

"Yes, Aria," Dumbledore's voice said, and Riley raised her head to look over at the door in surprise. Harry watched as the old wizard walked past Aria and into the room, looking around curiously. "So _this_ is how Muggles choose to spend their weekends in foreign places. Fascinating, though not my style."

"Well, when you're in London with little Muggle money and not a lot of interest in the finer things in life, you learn to take what you can for cheap," Riley pointed out, only to take another swig of Butterbeer.

"I'm sorry to hear about your expulsion, Riley," Dumbledore said with a nod to Riley. "Really, I am."

"I'm not going to even ask how you found out about that," Riley said, shaking her head as she set the Butterbeer on her trunk. "I don't regret what I did, only that I got kicked out of my home country for it. Slater's a pig, and it doesn't break my heart that I'm not learning underneath him anymore."

"Yes, well, I'm curious to hear what your plans are, now that you two are no longer attending Silvergates," Dumbledore said with a pleasant smile.

Aria walked over, her hands in her back pockets as she shrugged and said, "Don't really know yet. I mean, there's no way Beauxbatons would ever accept Riley, Durmstrang would never let her back in, and we came here because it was the only place outside of America that we thought we might have some friends in."

"What's all of this about?" Riley asked, eying Dumbledore suspiciously.

Dumbledore smiled and said, "I would like to extend an invitation to the two of you to come join us at Hogwarts until graduation."

There was a moment of awkward silence hanging in the air before Riley asked in confusion and disbelief, "Wait a minute, run that by us again." Aria was staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, too.

Dumbledore looked between the girls and said, "I would like for the two of you to come and attend Hogwarts."

"Why?" Riley asked, sounding rather rude.

"Riley!" Aria snapped, glaring at her friend in disbelief.

"Well?" Riley insisted as she looked up at Aria. "It's not an insane question for me to ask. I mean, I just got expelled for the second time, not to mention that I _barely_ escaped Azkaban again." She looked up at Dumbledore, who didn't seem offended at all.

"No, it's not an insane question," Dumbledore agreed, his hands folded together in front of him. "In fact, I expected you to ask this. I would like you two to come and aid the Order of the Phoenix."

Harry stared at Dumbledore in shock, feeling as though he must have misheard the man. He hadn't heard anything from the two girls about an offer to join the Order in the two years they'd been in London. How could they not have told him this, especially Riley?"

"Are you serious?" Aria asked in surprise, looking at Dumbledore with interest.

"Yes, I believe I am," Dumbledore said with a smile at Aria.

"Well, two things complicate that for me," Riley pointed out with a frown. "One of them is that we're underage witches, even though I'll be of age in four months. The second is that I"m already a Black Raven, and I won't join two orders."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Dumbledore said with a nod to Riley. "I remember our discussion from last year. No, the offer to join the Order is for Aria," he said with a nod to Aria. He then looked back at Riley and said, "But I would like for you to be an ally of the Order, and you're more than welcome to attend any and all meetings that you can possibly be present for."

"Why do you want us?" Riley asked, not bothering to hide her confusion or dismay from her voice.

Harry stared between the three people uncertainly, feeling that he wouldn't like what Dumbledore was about to say.

"You two are both very powerful young witches who show no signs of fear or intimidation of Voldemort," Dumbledore explained. "You're also close friends with Harry and the Weasleys, and I believe that you would be an asset to our order. Also, since you are no longer attending Silvergates, you have the chance to come to Hogwarts without reservations. You will be attending school with your friends, fighting Voldemort, and you will be able to learn magic as well."

"How long have you been planning this?" Riley asked suspiciously.

Dumbledore shook his head and said, "I originally thought of this around the time of your First Task, but I didn't not plan to go through with this offer until a week ago when I heard of your expulsion hearing. Quite frankly, my dear, considering your case, I'm not surprised at all that you were expelled."

Riley didn't argue with that, just shrugged and continued to stare at him in silence.

Aria frowned and asked, "There's more to all of this, isn't there?" Harry had been thinking the same thing, and continued to listen uncertainly.

Dumbledore frowned as he looked at Aria and said, "Yes, I'm afraid there is. Should you come to Hogwarts, you will not be able to tell anyone about your involvement with the Order. Should you accept my offer, Aria, you cannot tell anyone, even Mr. Weasley, that you are involved." Aria blushed slightly, only for Dumbledore to say, "Also, I would like the two of you to keep an eye out on Harry and his friends."

Harry suddenly froze on spot, looking at Dumbledore in disbelief. He had asked Riley and Aria to spy on him and the others? Why? What had he done? Dumbledore had told him this last year that he'd been concerned, but why would he ask his friends to spy on him, Ron and Hermione?

Dumbledore continued to say, "Because of Voldemort's return – in spite of their claims that he hasn't – the Ministry is seeing fit to interfere with Hogwarts this year, and as such, no good will come of it. I'm sure that there will be some sort of action to occur this year, and I don't want Harry to be caught up in too much trouble. I don't want him acting on impulse instead of brains, and I've seen first-hand that the two of you can calm him down, get him to think. Should he act, I know that you two can take care of yourselves and others, and you can help him get through."

"Do you not expect to be around through the entire year?" Riley asked, sounding both surprised and confused.

Dumbledore looked at Riley and said, "Nothing is ever for certain. I hope to be around to help him, but there are never any guarantees. As it is, I'm going to distance myself from this year and see if that will cause any of the extra stress or trouble to also distance itself from him. You two will be my contacts on the inside, because the teachers can only inform me up to a certain point. You two will help me from that point and beyond. I would like your help very much, because I think that it will help protect Harry in the long-run, as well as the others at Hogwarts."

All of a sudden, the scene changed again, and this time, Riley was standing in Dumbledore's office, her arms folded behind her back as she stared at Dumbledore, who was standing behind his desk with a serious frown on his face. "My apologies, Riley," Dumbledore said in a regretful tone. "I never intended for you to become the target of Professor Umbridge's rage."

"Better me than Harry," Riley pointed out.

"This is true, I suppose," Dumbledore agreed with a nod as he walked over. "But I don't want you to put yourself at unnecessary risk, either. As much good as you're doing here with me, I know that you tend to – how should I say this – fuel Professor's Umbridge's fire?"

Riley frowned seriously and said, "It's not my intention to make an enemy out of her, sir, but she has despised me since we first met, so it doesn't take much in order to draw her attention from Harry to me. As long as her resentment and anger is on me, she pulls herself further and further away from the truth about the D.A."

Harry's eyes widened in alarm and anger. Riley had told Dumbledore about the D.A.? Why? And how had she not gotten the boils that Hermione had promised?

Dumbledore nodded and said, "Harry is taking a great risk by running this little operation, but I admire him for it."

"I agree," Riley said with a nod as she folded her arms. "He's done more good this year than I ever could have imagined. He's armed the students with knowledge that could potentially save their lives, as well the lives of others. There's nothing that he could do better. He's absolutely amazing, and he's taught everything new things, including me."

In spite of his current anger, Harry suddenly felt very proud. Looking at Riley as she was in this memory, serious as she praised him, Harry could hardly believe what the Death Eaters had transformed her into, a killing machine who loved to torture.

Dumbledore nodded and said, "I agree. Unfortunately, this has come at the price of your hands," he added with a nod to her bruised and shredded hands.

Riley shrugged and said, "I'm getting used to it. The only time the pain becomes unbearable is when I'm playing Quidditch. _Then_ I feel like my hands are on fire and I feel them go numb, but other than that, they aren't as bad as they look."

"What about the Slytherins? How are they behaving?"

"They're mobilizing, sir, preparing to act as Umbridge's personal army."

"Professor Umbridge, please," Dumbledore corrected Riley. "I know that she doesn't like you, and she isn't our best teacher, but -"

"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore," Riley said, interrupting him as she shook her head. "But as long as she's in this castle, I will not call her a professor. She isn't a teacher, and hasn't earned the respect due to a teacher. I won't call her that, or anything for that matter, to her face. In fact, our only conversations usually consist of one word, and/or a threat."

"You must be careful, Riley," Dumbledore said with a frown. "If you push her too far in her hate for you, you could get yourself kicked out of Hogwarts, and then all of your hard work and dedication to me will have been for nothing."

Riley narrowed her eyes, something obviously bothering her. She asked seriously, "How long do you thin kit will be before the Ministry manipulates you out of here?"

"Oh, not long, I'm sure," Dumbledore said, not sounding bothered at all. This surprised Harry, realizing that Riley and Dumbledore had both predicted Dumbledore's expulsion from Hogwarts. Dumbledore continued to say, "Riley, I need you to promise me something."

"And what's that, sir?"

Dumbledore walked around his desk and stood right in front of Riley, looking down into her eyes as he said, "Promise me that no matter what, you will keep yourself in Hogwarts, so that you can help Harry. I know that you constantly have people following you and trying to find out the truth about this organization, but as long as you and Aria are here with Harry, I don't fear for his safety. You two are both amazing witches, and I know that as long as you are here, you will do your best to make sure that no harm comes to him. You know the full burden that Harry carries, you know what he's been through. You know him better than anyone else in this school, and I know that because of that you will protect him without failure or hesitation. You also know the full weight of what lies in the Ministry, in that Department, and what it means."

Riley smiled up at Dumbledore, nodding to him as she said respectfully, "I know, Professor. I promise, I won't let you down. Even if it means sacrificing my life, I will give Harry every chance to make it out of this war alive, and with every advantage possible."

* * *

Harry suddenly felt as though he'd been hit in the head with a sledgehammer as it thrust backward, knocking him backward onto his bed. He was panting, and as he sat up, he stared at the book in disbelief. He slammed it shut, looking around to see if anyone had seen his little episode. He was glad to see that he was completely alone to sulk in embarrassment.

Harry turned his head and saw the silver ring on the bed beside him. He picked the ring up and turned it over in his hand, thinking of what to do as he ran his fingers over the Latin words etched into the silver band. Having looked into Riley's past, seen what she'd seen and felt what she'd felt, he could hardly believe that she was the same fun-loving, sarcastic and powerful witch that he knew and loved. It was easy to imagine how she could have turned into a Dark witch, having tampered with the Dark magics and felt its seductive power. Harry knew that she was capable of powers that he could barely dream of, and didn't really want to. He'd seen her in action, and knew that she had so much more to give. Now, Voldemort was tapping into that power, and exploiting it for his own purposes. Harry didn't want to see how far Riley could really go if that collar was taken off of her and she was let loose. Something told him, however, that he'd only seen the beginning of the Dark Riley.


	44. Chapter 44: Who Am I?

Chapter Forty-four: Who Am I?

Riley stood by the window in Draco's room, looking out at the open, grassy fields that didn't seem to end. Her eyes were blank, her face serious, but emotionless. Her mind reeled, yet her eyes were as cold as stone and ice. It was as though there was no emotion left in her body, nothing but a hollow body.

Draco walked out from his bathroom, a T-shirt in his hand and not on his body, and he looked around, blinking in surprise to see Riley at his window. He threw the shirt onto his bed and walked up behind her. He was wearing black pants and shoes, and had been in the middle of changing in his bathroom when he'd heard commotion outside in his room. Riley was wearing a skin-tight, black leather haltertop that was very exposive in front and left her shoulders exposed in the back, one of the outfits that Bellatrix had recently bought, along with a bunch of other leather outfits. It was clear that Bella was going for the dark, bad girl look, not that Draco minded. She was wearing her mini-skirt and knee-high platform boots, leather arm-warmers that covered her forearms and the base of her middle finger (A/N: If you can't picture this, look at Temari's – from Naruto - gloves right after the timeskip), her wand back in her room. She stood with her arms folded as she looked out the window, barely noticing as Draco slipped his hands around her bare waist, walking right up behind her.

"What's up?" Draco asked, leaning over and kissing her bare shoulder for a moment. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Riley was silent for several moments, just staring out the window. Draco blinked as he frowned in concern. "Riley," he said, a little more sternly. "What do you want?"

"'What do I want'?" Riley asked, her voice empty and cold, surprising Draco. "Isn't that a funny word, 'want'? I mean, everything that a person wants and doesn't want is based off of what they do and don't have. I have nothing, and yet I want nothing. I live in a room with no lights, no windows, just me, my bed, bathroom and magic supplies. I go out and torture who I'm told to, and I could kill who I want if I wanted to. But I don't want anything. To want is to desire, and desire is a feeling. I don't feel anything. I just do. If someone tells me to do something, I do it. If I need to, I can pretend to do something, because I can understand the way that it messes with their minds, yet I don't enjoy it. To me, it's just another form of torture, a way to attempt to amuse myself, or to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes. Yet there's no true enjoyment or satisfaction coming from what I do. It's so strange."

"Riley," Draco said seriously as he frowned. "What's this about?"

"Why can't I feel?" Riley asked, blinking once. "I kill, I maim, I torture, yet I feel nothing."

"That's good," Draco said. "It allows you to do your work better and faster than any of the others who either enjoy it or regret it. It leaves no room for mistakes."

"No," Riley said coldly. "It's not good. It's just work. I don't want to feel, because I don't want anything. I just... I can't seem to be afraid, or sad, or confused. I'm just, here. There's nothing to my existence other than to obey and kill. I live by myself, never leaving unless the Dark lord wishes me to. He trained me, until he figured I was good enough to be on my own, an equal to the other Death Eaters. Now, the only person I see is you, or the Death Eaters he sends to work for me. They're all business, and you're gone most days. The only reason you manage to come home on the weekends is because you've learned how to transform yourself, to become an Animagus, so you slip away when there aren't any more classes, and you can afford to get away without getting caught. Your little _minions_ take care of all of the dirty work for you, covering your absences and getaway with their lies and deceit."

"But at least this way, I can come home and see you," Draco pointed out.

"Yes," Riley agreed. "But I need more. You're the only thing in my life that _feels_ like anything, yet I can't tell what it is. It's strange to me, a feeling."

"And?" Draco prompted.

Riley shrugged. "'And' nothing. It's just strange to feel this way, to feel at all. It doesn't feel natural. You don't feel empty until you feel something for the first time. I feel like a traitor because I have feelings. My mind says that something this foreign to me can't be right, and yet..." Her voice trailed off.

"'And yet' what?" Draco asked, narrowing his eyes.

Riley turned around and faced Draco, his hands sliding from her hips. "Who am I, Draco?" she asked, her eyes narrowed as she searched his. "The person I am, it doesn't feel right. I can do things without remorse. I don't even know what 'remorse' is. I read it in the dictionary, and yet I have no knowledge of what it actually feels like. Can you explain that to me? Can you explain how I can kill, I can torture, and I can desire something so greatly that it makes me feel like I'm choking, and I'm going to die, and yet I have no idea why I am the way I am? I'm a Death Eater. I have a purpose, and nothing else. All I am is what he's made me. I have no life, just work, and you. That's it. I've no feelings, no memories before coming to the Dark Lord. That's not a person. A person can feel, can want, and can hope. All I have is my work, the knowledge that I must obey. What is that? What does that make me?" She turned around and looked out the window. "I'm not a person anymore, am I, Draco? I'm a toy, _his_ toy. It's a system of control, my being used in whatever way he wants and for nothing else."

Draco shook his head. "The Dark Lord doesn't have toys. He has tools. We are his tools, each one of us."

"Yet you _feel_," Riley said. "What does that make me?"

"Real," Draco said in a sincere voice. "You may not have memories of the person you were before you came here, but you don't need those memories anymore. You are who you are, and it may not feel real, but _you_ are. You're a person, Riley O'Malley, a real person, and no matter what the Dark Lord asks you to do, even if he treats you like his tool, he can't change that. Through life and death, you're real, no matter what he likes or doesn't like. Who you were doesn't matter. Who you are does, and who you choose to be."

"How can I choose something when there are no options?" Riley asked. "Only facts, only realities."

Draco grabbed onto Riley by the waist and began backing up, pulling her with him. He rolled his neck and said, "Come on. Let's forget about today and just think about what it's going to be like when all of this is done, when Dumbledore is dead and all of those blood traitors with him." He leaned over and kissed Riley. For a moment, he was alone in the kiss, but then Riley grabbed onto him by the neck, kissing him hard and passionately. He gripped her tightly by the waist and pulled her back with him, against the wall, kissing her more and more as he felt her skin beneath his hands, everything he'd wanted for so long at his fingertips.

All of a sudden, Draco felt his arm burn. He stopped kissing Riley and let out a yell, his head thrusting back against the wall.

"Draco?" Riley asked, panting as she looked at him in confusion. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"The Mark," Draco grunted between his teeth. "Yours isn't going off?"

"No," Riley said, looking down at her bare forearm, which wasn't burning at all.

Draco set a hand on Riley's face, looking her in the eye as he somehow managed to bare the pain. "Stay here and wait for me," he said quietly.

Riley nodded and said, "I will. I promise."

Draco grabbed his wand from his back pocket and gave it a wave, suddenly disappearing in a cloud of smoke, reappearing in his cloak, in the main room with the Dark Lord. Draco appeared on his knees, his head lowered in reverence. He could sense that no one else was there, that the Dark Lord wanted only to see him.

"Draco," Voldemort said in his cold voice, rotating his wand in his hands. "I sensed your presence, and your mother confirmed that you are home for the weekend."

"Yes, milord," Draco said, struggling to keep his voice calm as his arm burned, the pain slowly easing away.

"Good," Voldemort said, tilting his head to the side. "Riley tells me that her mission was successful. They know she is ours, and their minds have been reeled from the experience. One of the Aurors is out, as well, even if only for a while."

"Yes, milord," Draco said, still not raising his head.

"Look up at me, young Draco," Voldemort said. "And rise before me."

Draco slowly raised his head, looking up at Voldemort. He slowly began to rise to his feet, unfamiliar with this unless told to as a group.

Voldemort nodded in satisfaction. "How is our young Death Eater? She seems to be doing extremely well, able to do any work that I give her without failure. She carries no emotions or reservations about any of her work, and she doesn't take any grief from any of the other Death Eaters."

"Yes, milord," Draco said, keeping his voice level. "She feels nothing, only the need to fulfill your work."

"Good, good," Voldemort said, nodding. "That is excellent, far better than any of my other Death Eaters. They all have personal reasons as to why they follow me, vendettas that they wish to use me to complete. No matter, though, because I then have expendable servants. With Riley, nothing is personal. It's just business. She gets in and out without any extra talk, doing just what she needs to and nothing else."

"Yes, milord," Draco repeated.

Voldemort nodded. "When you put your final mission into action, I want you to include her in your plan."

"Milord?" Draco asked in surprise, and a little fear.

Voldemort turned around and went on to say, "She is a good Death Eater, one of my best. She's been here a short while, and yet she's among the best that I've had in a long time. She may not be the one killing that daft old fool, but she will definitely cause mayhem, a concept that I fully encourage. Anyone outside of Slytherin that is obliterated is none of my concern. It only means less opponents in the end."

"Yes, milord," Draco said, nodding without hesitation, even with the reluctance in his heart. Still, now that he was done, he could return to Riley, and the night that awaited them.


	45. Chapter 45: Potions Left Behind

A/N: Okay, I know these chapters recently have been _really_ short recently, but I just feel like they all need to go up, and I can't find ways to expand them any longer without making the chapters really short and pointless. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this, although the chapter will be very short. I'll put up the next chapter, too, which isn't incredibly long, either, but should do the job for the time being. I'm going to try to be quick about putting all of my chapters up, because I don't know how long it will be until I get internet, or how long I will have internet access. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! Please R&R.

* * *

Chapter Forty-five: Potions Left Behind

Aria walked up the stairs that led from the Gryffindor common room to the girl's dormitory. She had skipped two of her classes so that she could be alone, because she knew that the only time she would get that chance would be when everyone else in the House was in their classes. Once alone, Aria walked into her dorm, and over to her bed. She reached over to her nightstand and pulled a photo album out from one of the drawers.

As she set it on her lap, Aria ran a hand through her hair to pull it over her shoulder, and she opened up the book. She looked at the pictures inside, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes as she looked at both Muggle and magical pictures of her, Riley and friends of theirs from Silvergates. There were all kinds of pictures of the group laughing, of Riley with Aaron and several other kids they'd known, pictures of them with Hogwarts kids during and after the TriWizard Tournament.

Aria sunk down to the floor, clutching the photo album tightly against her chest. She suddenly couldn't control it, or herself, as the tears began to pour down from her eyes. Her body shook with the strength of her sobbing, and Aria realized just how much she missed Riley, how overcome she was by misery, anger and confusion.

_I can't believe she doesn't remember any of it, _Aria thought miserably to herself, unable to stop from crying. _After everything, after twelve years, all of it is just gone. Now, she wants to kill me. Now, she's serving __**him**__. I mean, she hates him. She hates him more than anyone else, and now he's got her serving him, killing for him. How is that even possible? I just... _She reached up and gripped at her hair, yanking hard on it in aggravation as she thought miserably to herself, _I just can't believe this is really happening. Twelve years, completely gone. I don't know how it happened, or how any of this can even be possible. Riley's gone._

"Riley's gone," Aria cried, her eyes slammed shut as she leaned her head back against the bed. "She's really gone."

Aria continued to cry on her own for another hour, until she sensed someone coming up the stairs. By then, she'd run out of tears to cry, and just felt exhausted. Now, at six o'clock that night, Aria was racing down the hallway leading away from the Fat Lady painting. When she finally got away from all classrooms and familiar paintings, Aria stared at the wall, focusing on the bricks.

_Open up for me,_ she thought._ I need a place where I can work, where I can do what I need to in order to find Riley._

Aria stood in silence for a moment before the brick wall suddenly began to move, the bricks themselves folding outward and changing shapes until they formed a doorway. Aria walked inside, the door closing behind her. Once inside, she narrowed her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the darkness.

Aria suddenly felt a conviction beyond anything she'd felt before. She had cried for as long as her body could produce the tears, and then she'd wandered around the Hogwarts campus, trying to avoid everyone who might try to make her talk, or even make her think. She hadn't wanted to talk to anyone, associate with any people. All she wanted right now was to be alone, to be as far away from anyone and everyone. She'd skipped dinner, and was now on her own.

Around five o'clock, Aria had realized just what she wanted, and how far she was willing to go to get there. _I get it now, Riley, A_ria thought as she walked over to one of the three tables in the Room of Requirement that had been automatically set up for her. Books were piled up on the table, along with cauldrons and dozens of ingredients. She set her left hand on the table, narrowing her eyes as she thought, _I really do. Before, I always thought you were crazy for being so strong in your conviction to take down Bellatrix and Voldemort. Now, I get it. Now, I understand that there are lines that I'm going to have to cross if I want to get what I want. Nothing's going to stop me, and I'm going to do anything it takes to get what I want._

Aria was going to find a way to find Riley, to restore her memory, and to free her. In that moment, Aria also realized that there was nothing that she wasn't willing to do in order to get her friend back, and she _was_ going to do whatever it took, no matter how far into the darkness she had to go.


	46. Chapter 46: How Far Would You Go?

Chapter Forty-six: What Would You Do For Me?

"Severus, my faithful servant," Voldemort said in a sickly smooth voice. "Tell me about my Death Eaters."

"They are loyal to you," Snape said simply. "They are ready to move out for you at anytime, just waiting for orders."

"And the girl?" Voldemort asked. "Riley?"

Snape blinked. "She is ready."

"You hesitated," Voldemort said with interest, his eyes glued to Snape. "Do you have doubts?"

"About her strength, no," Snape admitted.

"Her will, then?" Voldemort asked, and Snape realized that this was what the Dark Lord had really been fishing for, information about Riley.

"She _has_ no will," Snape admitted. "She only knows to act. She doesn't question why, she doesn't question our orders. She follows the orders of everyone, but does not let them walk over her. She does not question, only obeys. She is a machine."

"That is good," Voldemort said, obviously pleased. "She will be of great use to me, since she has no inhibitions, no conscience. Still, no passion can be her downfall if she is faced with the prospect of life or death."

Snape's mind wavered, but he refused to show it. Still, Voldemort seemed to sense his thoughts. "There is something else," he said, his eyes narrowed.

"Yes," Snape said, knowing that it was pointless to hide the truth. "I think that she will follow you to death, because of the lies you have given her. She believes you to be the only right, fallen for every lie you told her, but there is one person who can get emotion out of her."

If he'd had eyebrows, Voldemort would have raised one. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at Snape, drilling into him his cold interest. "Tell me all about it," he hissed.

* * *

"Riley," Voldemort said in his soft, smooth voice. "How are you? Are you doing well?"

"Yes, Master," Riley said, her arms behind her back as she looked forward, as cold as always.

Voldemort walked behind Riley while staring at her. "I wanted to check with you on a matter of concern. Soon, Draco will go ahead with his plan to kill that old fool, Dumbledore, and you will play a part in this act. I want you to go into the school and kill every traitor you can get your wand on. How does that appeal to you?"

"If it's your wish, I will kill anyone," Riley said, her voice even and a single tone.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he asked, "You feel no remorse, killing your old classmates?"

"I know nothing of them, only the barbaric way they've treated me and my friends," Riley responded.

"You feel no anger, no lust for revenge?" Voldemort asked as he rounded Riley, looking her in the eyes.

"I feel nothing," Riley said through narrowed eyes, not moving a muscle.

"No love?" Voldemort asked curiously. "No happiness? No enjoyment?"

"Nothing," Riley repeated.

Voldemort smiled and reached out with a hand to set the back of his slippery fingernails against Riley's cheek, stroking it and dragging his fingernails down. "You are one of my most valuable Death Eaters, Riley, because you follow me without question. I have no doubt that, if I were to fall again, you would be ready to find me at any moment."

"Of course, Master," Riley said simply.

"Then be honest," Voldemort said, looking Riley in the eyes. "Do not lie to me, because I will know if you do. Is there _anything_ that makes you feel?" Riley looked at Voldemort through cold, narrowed eyes, but said nothing as though she didn't know what he was talking about. Voldemort looked at her, then turned around to say, "I trust your allegiance, Riley, but I must know what it is that makes you feel." He faced Riley and said, "Even if only one thing, it is something, the one thing that will drive you when all else fails."

"I will not fail," Riley said strongly. "I _cannot_ fail."

"I believe you," Voldemort said, smiling. He turned his head, looking at the door. All of a sudden, the door went crashing open and Draco fell into the room, literally, and he hit the floor.

Riley snapped her head to the side and looked at Draco in alarm, as though she thought that he was an enemy. Right as Draco crashed into the floor, Death Eaters suddenly appeared from all over, six suddenly appearing around Draco with their wands pointed at his throat, Bellatrix holding onto him in a stranglehold and smiling up at Riley in a sickly way. Her wand was pointed right at Draco's back. If she'd sent a spell, it would have gone right through him and his heart. Draco's eyes were widened in alarm, him panting as though he'd just been run across the countryside without stop, that or tortured.

Riley looked at Voldemort, her eyes narrowed as before. They showed no emotion as he looked at her, as though observing her expression. She just stared at him, with an expression that was similar to waiting for a command.

Voldemort looked at Riley and asked, "Would you kill _him_ for me?"

Riley's eyes narrowed, but flashed with alarm. She looked back at Draco, whose eyes widened with alarm and anger, only to narrow when he looked at Voldemort. Bellatrix forced him to look at Riley, hissing something into his ear that Riley could hear as, "Wait to see what your girlfriend does, Draco."

Riley looked back at Voldemort, who was looking at Riley with cold, clear eyes. "Would you kill him, torture him, if I asked you to do it?"

Riley looked at Voldemort, and then back at Draco. Her eyes rested on Draco's, who wasn't begging and pleading, but looking at her with seriousness. Riley and he made eye-contact, and neither seemed to be able to speak even move.

Voldemort slinked to stand behind Riley, leaning forward to whisper in her ear, "Would you be willing to give up Draco, to kill him and watch him scream in pain, to follow me?"

Riley continued looking at Draco, unable to pull her eyes away. Then she said coldly, "Yes." She saw Bellatrix's eyes light up with excitement and delight, and Draco to narrow his, but he didn't seem angry. She looked into Voldemort's eyes and said, "Yes, I would, if you ordered me to."

Voldemort looked into Riley's eyes, standing to her side. He smiled and said, "That's the devotion I'm looking for." He looked over at the Death Eaters and nodded slightly. They suddenly grabbed Draco and threw him forward. He stumbled forward, but gained his footing and found himself facing Riley and Voldemort.

Voldemort looked between the two, rounding on them and said, "Be together, may you have a long and deathful life together, but don't forget that, in the end, I'm first."

Draco and Riley looked at Voldemort in apparent surprise, and she asked in surprise, "Master?"

"I don't discourage romance among my Death Eaters," Voldemort said, as though Riley hadn't said anything. "After all, many of my Death Eaters are married and have families of their own, families who have grown to support me over the years. You may be together openly, as long as you continue to put me first. If I give either of you commands, you obey them without question."

"Yes, Master," Riley and Draco said in unison without hesitation.

Voldemort walked up to Riley and looked her in the eyes as he said softly, as though talking to someone he cared about, "You are my killing machine, Riley, one of my best Death Eaters. Don't lose that cold drive that keeps you going, that desire to do my bidding, no matter what it is." He blinked as he looked up at Draco, who had walked over to stand closer to Riley, slipping his right hand along the back of her waist and holding her there, clearly marking her as his. She did nothing in response, used to this by now. Voldemort then looked back at Riley and said, "It seems that Draco is the one thing that makes you hesitate, that makes you feel anything, even if only anger and reluctance. He has sworn allegiance to me in the same way that you have just now, that if the time came to attack you and I gave the order, he would, but keep that loyalty to me and you will never have to. Don't forget that," he looked at Draco and said, "either of you. With that, he turned and walked out of the room, not saying another word.

Draco and Riley looked at one another, both looking surprised, and they watched as the Death Eaters began to leave the room, not saying anything either. Bellatrix was the only one who stayed behind, a sickeningly evil look on her face as she looked between Riley and Draco. She then said in a sneer, "Love tempted with torture. _That_ I'd love to see." With that, she walked out, leaving Riley and Draco alone.

Once everyone was out of earshot, Riley said in awe, "They know now."

"The Dark Lord always knows," Draco said, looking down at Riley, though Riley knew that he was just as relieved as she was. A thought came to Riley's mind and she looked up at Draco. He smiled, sensing her thoughts, and he said, "Well, not _everything_."

Riley grinned and said, "That's what I thought." She frowned, suddenly serious as she said, "That was too risky, us deceiving the Dark Lord."

"It worked out all right, didn't it?" Draco asked, an eyebrow raised.

Riley frowned up at Draco and said, "It could have just as easily gone the other way." She sounded almost panicked. "I thought he really wanted me to kill you, and…"

"Shh," Draco said, facing Riley – his right hand still on her back – and he set his left hand on her cheek, holding her there as he ran his thumb along her cheek, calming her down. "It's okay," he said soothingly. Then he leaned over and kissed her, holding onto her tightly. She held onto his hand and arm, kissing him back. When he finally pulled his lips away, he smiled at her and said, "Better?"

"Mmm," Riley said with a smile, looking up at him.

"That felt good," Draco said, being able to kiss her for the first time without worrying about where they were and who was watching.

Riley smiled and said, "Yeah, I _felt_ it."


	47. Chapter 47: The Conscience Beneath

A/N: I feel so bad that these chapters seem to be getting so much shorter, but I'm trying to have all of these clips that jump around from person to person, getting all of this information in in such a small amount of time. Not to seem impatient, but I can't wait until all of this is over, because it's extremely stressful to have to go back and forth, back and forth, and with school coming, I think I'm going to go MAD! Lol. Please R&R. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Forty-seven: The Conscience Beneath

Time seemed to pass by quickly, Draco running home every weekend to spend more time with Riley. Snape didn't bother interfering anymore, probably because he realized it wouldn't do any good. Draco was determined to continue seeing Riley, because the truth was that he couldn't remember ever having felt happier than he was now, and that was because of Riley. By the time May came around, Draco realized that he was in love. He and Riley spent two days a week together, but they were the two best days of his week. Before Riley had joined the Death Eaters, he'd been in love, but now it was completely different. Now, his affects were returned, and he didn't have to hide how he felt.

Once he arrived at his house, the second weekend in May, Draco made all of his usual rounds, talking to Bellatrix and Narcissa about being home for the weekend. Once he had, he walked over to his room and changed into a black turtleneck and pants, much more comfortable than his school clothes. Once he had changed, he walked over to Riley's room, knocking on the door before entering.

Like most days, Riley was sitting at one of the tables, scribbling down notes.

"Hi," Riley said, sounding pleased as she stood up. It hadn't taken long for her neroticism to disappear, once she and Draco began to see each other regularly.

"Hey, beautiful," Draco said with a smile as he closed the door behind him. He pointed his wand at it and cast several spells to make it so that no one could walk in, interrupt them, or hear them. He then walked over to her, kissing her briefly before hugging her. As she pulled back, he moved his hands down to her bare hips and asked with a smile, "So, what have you been up to?"

Riley pulled herself up onto one of the tables that was pressed against the wall, folding her ankles and keeping her knees pressed tightly together. She smiled, tilting her head to the side as she said, "Been pretty boring around here, you know? Nothing to do, no one interesting to talk to. I mean, Bellatrix makes for some interesting conversation, if you like smart-allec remarks about destruction and chaos, but frankly, I find it all boring. What about you? How are you these days?"

"Are you making small talk?" Draco asked with a knowing smile as he came closer. He set his hands on her bare legs, running them up and down her legs. He raised an eyebrow as he looked into her eyes, which had a catch-me-if-you-can look in them.

Riley shrugged and admitted, "Figured I'd give it a try."

"Waste of time, if you ask me," Draco said with a smile. He crushed his lips against hers, and Riley reciprocated all too willingly. _I spend all week at school, waiting for this exact moment,_ he thought as he pinned her up against the wall, moving his lips from hers to her jaw, moving up her jawline. She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling as he continued. _Pure bliss,_ he thought to himself. _At long last, I've got everything I want._

Draco's lips moved up along her jawline, his eyes closed as he focused on enjoying the moment. Then he felt an inconsistency beneath his lips. When he opened his eyes. Draco suddenly became very uneasy. He found himself once again staring at the long and straight scar that stretched from Riley's ear to her jaw, and he froze.

Every time Draco looked at the scar, he couldn't help but remember that his father had been the one to inflict it on her. It had been last year, during her visit to the Department of Mysteries, that Riley had helped send Lucius and several others to Azkaban. Draco had been angry and appalled when he found out, but when he caught sight of Riley's face the day after, when they'd returned to school, and when he heard about Bellatrix casting the Cruciatus Curse on Riley and torturing her with it, Draco's anger dwindled to disbelief. As much as he might have wanted revenge for his father being put into jail, he could never take his full anger out on Riley.

Looking at the scar, he felt guilty beyond belief, and was also reminded that his romantic relationship with Riley was a sham, nothing but physical. While he may be in love with her, he knew that in her right frame of mind, she wouldn't be with him. That it had taken losing her memories to get what he wanted, making his entire relationship with her nothing but a gigantic lie.

"What's wrong, Draco?" Riley asked, sounding both confused and worriedly.

Draco took a step back, saying uneasily, "Uh, Riley, I've got to get out of here. I only came to see how you're doing, and now that I know you're okay..."

"Draco, what's -" Riley began.

"Just trust me, Riley," Draco said as he walked over to the door. "Nothing's wrong. I just, I need to go."

"Okay," Riley said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "I won't press, but only because I still don't believe you."

Draco didn't say anything else, just walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. He leaned pressed his back against the door, covering his face with both of his hands. He let out a shaky sigh, his body shuddering with exhaustion and uncertainly.

"Draco? What's wrong?"

Draco looked up, alarm shooting through him when he recognized his mother walking down the hallway toward him. She was wearing a green and black dress, her hands folded and a look of concern on her face. He swallowed hard before saying, "Nothing."

Narcissa shook her head and said in a scolding voice, "I know the look of 'nothing', and that isn't this look." She held a hand out to Draco and said, "Come with me, and we'll talk in private."

Draco followed his mother away, folding his arms as he did so. Once they were in a room all by themselves, Draco stopped and turned to face his mother. "It's about Riley," he said uncomfortably.

Narcissa smiled in amusement and admitted, "I figured as much. You're only here on the weekends, and you spend most of that time in her room. That, plus the meeting with the Dark Lord a few weeks ago, told me that you two were together." She took in a deep breath and let it out as she asked, "So, what is it about her that's troubling you so?"

"Everything," Draco admitted with a shrug. "I mean, physically, things are great with her." He blushed slightly, realizing how awkward it was to talk to his mom. Finally, he admitted, "I mean, when we're together, things feel great. But then I remember..." His voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Narcissa seemed to understand as she nodded and guessed, "Then you remember why she's here, why she's chosen you after everything?"

Draco nodded. "I just, I can't figure out how I should feel about all of this. I mean, she makes me happier than I've ever been before, and she's made me stronger, too. But there's this gnawing feeling in the back of my mind that tells me 'she's not really interested in you, and she wouldn't be with you if she had a choice. She's just a prisoner.'"

"But she _isn't_ a prisoner," Narcissa pointed out.

"Well, she isn't exactly here of her own will, either," Draco retorted. "Sometimes, I just feel like I'm the captor and she's the prisoner."

"Draco, what is this about?" Narcissa asked, folding her hands together.

Draco hesitated, only to ask, "Before you and Father were together, you loved him, right?"

"Very much."

"So, how far would you have gone to keep him with you?"

"As far as necessary," Narcissa admitted. "What you have to think about, though, is whether or not what you have is a relationship, and if she really loves you back."

Draco smiled slightly and admitted, "I really love her."

"I know you do," Narcissa said as she drew closer. "I can tell, by the look in your eyes and by the sound of your voice when you speak about her. You've changed a lot since you first met her. What you need to learn, though, is whether you are content with the person she is, and whether you're in love with the person she is, or the person she was."

Draco frowned, not knowing what to say or do. He knew his mother was right, but he didn't know how he felt, about anything.


	48. Chapter 48: Sectumsempra

Chapter Forty-eight: Sectumsempra

Interest in the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw game was running extremely high throughout the school, for the match would decide the Championship, which was still wide open. The necessary amount of points to gain the Championship was rather large, in Harry's opinion, but he felt safe with the idea that no matter how they did, they would beat Slytherin. The two games Slytherin had played with Riley on the team had been enormous victories, putting Slytherin above even Gryffindor, but when she disappeared and Draco took over as team Seeker, and Adrien took over as Captain, the team's success began to dwindle massively. Now, it was all up to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

The run-up to this crucial match had the usual features; members of rival Houses attempting to intimidate opposing teams in the corridors; unpleasant chants about individual players being rehearsed loudly as they passed; the team members themselves either swaggering around enjoying all the attention or else dashing into the bathrooms between classes to throw up.

Still, Harry couldn't help but not feel anywhere near as excited as his fellow students. None of them knew the truth about Riley, that she was a Death Eater. He had a gnawing feeling in his gut that it was only a matter of time before she made another appearance at Hogwarts, only this time more public. That feeling made Harry vomit several times every day, and he could see in the eyes of his friends, particularly Ginny and Aria, that they seemed to be thinking the same thing. Ron, after having been attacked by Riley, seemed to stop talking about her altogether. Every time her name came up in conversation, he would find a lame excuse to leave the room. Harry understood why. Ron had received the worst of Riley's attacks, being tortured by the Cruciatus Curse. After seeing its affect on his friends twice now, Harry couldn't imagine ever using the Curse again, let alone having it succeed.

Meanwhile, the school seemed to return to its normal function, barely anyone talking about Riley's disappearance anymore. In fact, the only people who still seemed concerned were the Gryffindors, Adrien from Slytherin, and Hannah and Ernie from Ravenclaw. Malfoy himself didn't even seem that concerned. Aria seemed extremely preoccupied most days, as though everything involving classes was just a bother, because she always seemed to be the first one to run from the classroom, as though having somewhere better to be.

In the midst of all his preoccupations, Harry had not forgotten his other ambition: finding out what Malfoy was up to in the Room of Requirement. He was still checking the Marauder's Map and as he was unable to locate Malfoy on it, deduced that Malfoy was still spending plenty of time within the room. Although Harry was losing hope that he would ever succeed in getting inside the Room of Requirement, he attempted it whenever he was in the vicinity, but now matter how he reworded his request, the wall remained firmly doorless.

A few days before the match against Ravenclaw, Harry found himself walking down to dinner alone from the common room, Ron having rushed off into a nearby bathroom to throw up yet again, and Hermione having dashed off to see Professor Vector about a mistake she thought she might have made in her last Arithmancy essay. More out of habit than anything, Harry made his usual detour along the seventh-floor corridor, only to be surprised when he saw Aria walking down the hallway with her backpack strung over her shoulder.

"Aria?" Harry asked, voicing his surprise.

Aria stopped and looked up at Harry in alarm, her eyes stretched wide in panic. She looked at him as though he'd turned into a ghost, only to say in surprise. "Harry. Uh, hi."

"Okay, something's going on," Harry said knowingly. "You're not usually this evasive."

Aria hesitated, only to roll her eyes and say, "Okay, I went over to the Ravenclaw common room, and they let me in."

"Why?"

"Just to talk to some people about the upcoming Potions test."

"Why would you be talking to Ravenclaws about Potions?" Harry asked, confused. "You know more about Potions than anyone in the school."

"They wanted some notes, and I try not let on that I loan my notes to anyone outside of Gryffindor," Aria pointed out.

"Oh," Harry said, somewhat surprised. "Okay. I'll see you at dinner?"

"No," Aria said, shaking her head. "I'm going to skip dinner, hang out in the dormitory. Maybe I'll ask Dobby to bring me something later."

"You've been doing that a lot lately," Harry observed, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, there's a lot of things wrong, but at this particular moment, no," Aria admitted, shaking her head. She began to walk past Harry and said, "But I'll see you later, all right? Grab me some pumpkin juice."

"Sure," Harry said, watching Aria until she disappeared around the corner. Once she was gone, Harry looked down at his map and saw with surprise that Malfoy's tiny, labeled dot was standing in a boys' bathroom on the floor below, accompanied, not by Crabbe or Goyle, but by Moaning Myrtle.

Harry only stopped staring at this unlikely coupling when he walked right into a suit of armor. The loud crash brought him out of his reverie; hurrying from the scene lest Filch turn up, he dashed down the marble staircase and along the passageway below. Outside the bathroom door, he pressed his ear against the door. He couldn't hear anything. He very quietly pushed the door open. He had so many questions about Malfoy and what was really going on in his life and mind, Harry needed to know.

Draco was standing with his back to the door, his hands clutching either side of the sink, his white-blonde head bowed.

"Don't," cooned Moaning Myrtle's voice from one of the cubicles. "Don't... tell me what's wrong... I can help you..."

"No one can help me," Malfoy; said, his entire body shaking. "I can't do it... I can't... It won't work... and unless I do it soon... he says he'll kill me... And her... I can't risk... He was right... My weakness..."

And Harry realized, with a shock so huge it seemed to root him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying – actually crying – tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Malfoy gasped and gulped and then, with a great shudder, looked up into the cracked mirror and saw Harry staring at him over his shoulder. Malfoy wheeled around, drawing his wand. Instinctively, Harry pulled out his own. Malfoy's hex missed Harry by inches, shattering the lamp on the wall beside him.

"What were you talking about, Malfoy?" Harry snapped angrily as he drew closer, his wand stretched out. "Who can't you risk? Is it Riley? Are you the one that fed her to the Death Eaters? Took her memory so that Voldemort could use her for his own purposes?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Malfoy yelled as he snapped his wand at Harry. A spell went flying at Harry, only for Harry to barely dodge. The spell hit one of the stalls and caused the toilet to explode, water spraying up in every direction, hitting both boys. Neither seemed to even notice, they were so concentrated on the fight.

"I don't know what I"m talking about?" Harry exclaimed. "I'm not the one standing in a bathroom, crying!"

"You will be soon enough!" Malfoy yelled as he pointed his wand at Harry. "Die, Potter! _Cruci-_"

"_SECTUMSEMPRA!_" bellowed Harry, waving his wand at Malfoy.

Blood spurted from Malfoy's face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand.

"No," Harry gasped, filled with shock and horror. He ran to Malfoy's side, Malfoy's face now shining scarlet, his white hands scrabbling at his blood-soaked chest. "No," Harry whispered, shaking his head in horror. "No, I didn't..."

* * *

An hour later, in the common Room, Harry was surrounded by Ron, Hermione and Ginny, telling them all what had happened, not that it seemed to matter. Moaning Myrtle had taken it upon herself to pop up in every bathroom in the castle and tell the story to whoever would listen. Needless to say, Harry was assigned detention every Sunday night until school was out, a fair punishment, but it meant that Harry wouldn't be able to play Quidditch. Even so, Harry had felt obligated to tell someone, his friends, who now seemed as horrified as he felt.

"I won't say 'I told you so'," Hermione said as she sat down beside Harry on the couch, Ron and Ginny standing up together.

"Leave it, Hermione," Ron said angrily.

"Hey, guys," Aria said as she entered the room, seeming almost pleased. She looked around with a smile, only to frown when she caught onto dark mood hanging in the air. "Okay, what'd I miss, and who died?"

"Well, he's not dead," Harry muttered under his breath. "But only just."

"What?" Aria exclaimed. "Who? What's going on?"

"Harry attacked Malfoy in the sixth-floor bathroom," Ginny explained. "Nearly killed him with a spell that he got from his Potions book."

"Actually, _he_ attacked _me_," Harry pointed out. "But I retaliated, a little too strongly."

"What?" Aria exclaimed, seeming flat out appalled now. "There was a fight with Malfoy and I missed it? Damn it!"

"Hey, where were you?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Aria. "You said you were coming back here, but I didn't see you when I got back."

"Oh," Aria said, suddenly very awkward again. "Well, I went to the library, to get some books."

"I don't see any books," Harry pointed out.

"That's because they didn't have any good ones," Aria stammered. "Anyway, back to the story."

"Needless to say, I've got detentions with Snape every Sunday from now until the end of school, so Ginny is taking my spot on the team."

"Dean will be taking my place," Ginny admitted.

"I'm gone an hour, and the world ends," Aria said, rolling her eyes.

"I told you there was something wrong with that Prince person," Hermione pointed out, apparently unable to stop herself. "And I was right, wasn't I?"

"No, I don't think you were," Harry said stubbornly.

Hermione seemed confused as she said, "Harry, how can you stick up for that book when that spell -"

"Will you stop harping on about the book?" Harry snapped as he stood up, turning on Hermione. "The Prince only copied it out! It's not like he was advising anyone to use it! For all we know, he was making a note of something that had been used against him!"

"I don't believe this," Hermione said as she stood up, obviously angry. "You're actually defending -"

"I'm not defending what I did!" Harry said quickly. "I wish I hadn't done it, and not just because I've got about five detentions. You know I wouldn't have used a spell like that, not even on Malfoy, but you can't blame the Prince. He hadn't written 'try this out, it's really good'. He was just making notes for himself, wasn't he? Not for anyone else..."

"Are you telling me that you're going to go back -" Hermione began, obviously appalled.

"And get the book? Yeah, I am," Harry said forcefully. "Listen, without the Prince, I'd never have won the Felix Felicis, I'd never have known how to save Ron from poisoning, I'd never have -"

"- got a reputation for Potions brilliance you don't desreve," Hermione added nastily.

"Give it a rest, Hermione!" Ginny said fiercely, surprising Harry, but almost making him feel grateful. Ginny's eyes blazed as she said, "Byt he sound of it, Malfoy was trying to use an Unforgivable Curse, so you should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!"

"He did _what?_" Aria exclaimed, looking at Harry through wide and shocked eyes.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Harry explained. "He started to use it -"

"You're telling me that after everything that's happened since Riley left, Malfoy tried to pull that curse on you and you didn't tell me?" Aria exclaimed, looking angrier than ever. When no one said anything, and Ron looked away, Aria turned and stormed off into the girl's dormitory, leaving the others alone.

Hermione hesitated, only to look at Ginny and say, "I'm happy that Harry wasn't cursed, but you can't call that Sectumsempra spell good, Ginny! Look where it's landed him. I'd have thought, seeing as what it's done to your chances in the match -"

"Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quidditch," Ginny snapped defensively. "You'll only embarrass yourself."

Hermione seemed furious, and with that she stormed out of the common room, out into the hallway. Ron followed after her, leaving Harry and Ginny alone. Harry sat down on the couch again and muttered, "Thanks for sticking up for me."

"I'm not condoning what you did," Ginny said as she sat down on the couch beside him. "As much as I dislike Malfoy, he doesn't deserve to die, not for this anyway. But I _am_ glad that you came out okay."

"I guess," Harry said half-heartedly.

Ginny narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why do I get the feeling I'm only getting the short version of this story?"

"Something he said, when he didn't know I was there," Harry admitted, feeling that of all people left in Hogwarts, he could trust Ginny with this information. "He was crying, really crying."

Ginny seemed surprised by this, only to say, "Now _that's_ something I would have liked to see."

Harry shook his head, rolling his eyes and saying, "I know that after everything that we've been through, and if I'm right about him, then there's every right to hate him, but... I guess, he just seemed like an actual human in there, actually scared and upset. I've never seen him like that. He's always seemed so indifferent, but like that..."

"Are you saying you like Malfoy now?" Ginny asked disbelievingly.

"No," Harry said quickly, shaking his head. "I never would have wished the results of that attack on him, but no. He's done too many things to me and my friends, to Riley. I just, I think there's more to his connection with Riley's disappearance, and the Death Eaters."

"Join the club," Ginny said with a scoff.

"Really?" Harry asked, looking at Ginny with interest. "You don't think I'm crazy for thinking Malfoy's a Death Eater?"

"Not at all," Ginny admitted. "Everything supports it, and even if he is young, so is Riley, and so was her brother. Voldemort isn't the type to refuse someone's loyalty for something as insignificant as age."

Harry smiled and said gratefully, "I appreciate your support, Ginny, and I'm sorry about everything you're being put through, with Riley and everything."

Ginny smiled and said in a similar voice, "I'll always be at your side to support you, Harry. Always, no matter what they throw at us."


	49. Chapter 49: Confession

Chapter Forty-nine: Confession

News quickly spread throughout the school about Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley dating. In fact, it spread throughout the school within forty-eight hours. In spite of her anger and disbelief at the whole Malfoy-Harry-fight situation, Aria found herself highly amused that it had taken this long for the two to end up together. They were a great couple, and they seemed to make each other very happy.

Aria's nights working on various potions was taking its toll. She could suddenly understand Riley's exhaustion earlier that year when she, herself, had been staying up all night in the Room of Requirement, working on creating potions. Aria felt completely drained, as though her five hours of sleep every night wasn't enough to carry her through the day. Also, it was becoming harder than ever for her to slip out of the dorm. Between Harry, Ginny, Hermione, McGonogall and Mrs. Norris, Aria had found her ventures into the night becoming more and more difficult. Aria didn't mind the difficulties for the next week to be so difficult, as long as they didn't get in the way of Wednesday... Aria smiled to herself, excitement bubbling inside of her. She had to figure out how to get out of the castle itself, and more importantly, how to get back inside.

Having a free period to do whatever she wanted, Aria decided to go for a walk. She walked up to the tower where all of the owls were kept, where they were fed and sheltered until they were used to mail something. When she reached the top of the tower, she saw dozens of owls sitting around, including Hedwig and Pigwidgeon. Aria, however, had her attention on one specific owl, who was sitting right next to the two familiar owls.

"Hey, Sunny," Aria said gently to the small, golden owl. She ran her fingers over the owl's feathery chest, smiling wistfully. "You know what's going on, don't you?" The small owl cooed, looking around in either direction. Aria shook her head and said quietly, "Of course you don't. You're just a bird, I guess. Still, it shouldn't be too long before we have her back, and then you'll be happy again." She shook her head and muttered, "We all will."

"Been a while since I've seen that bird."

Aria turned her head and smiled when she saw Harry walking up the steps, his hands in his back pockets. "Hey," she said with a growing smile. "I would have guessed that you'd be spending this time with Ginny, since you don't get

Harry shook his head and said, "She's in the library, studying for her O.W.L.s."

"Ah," Aria said with a knowing smile. "Fun."

Harry looked at Sunny and said in a marveled tone, "Sometimes, I forget about this bird." He ran his own fingers across Sunny's smooth chest. "I mean, since Riley's been gone, she hasn't come flying in during meals or anything."

"Yeah," Aria said quietly, suddenly feeling the misery of her friend's betrayal again.

Harry frowned and asked, "Are you still mad about me not telling you about Malfoy?"

"No, I'm not," Aria said, shaking her head. "It's just, I miss my friend," she added with a shrug. "And these days, anything suspicious causes me to explode."

Harry nodded and said, "Good. I'm glad." When Aria gave him a strange look, he admitted, "Well, I've got Hermione, Ron and Ginny still, but since I lost Riley..." He gave a half-smile to Aria and added, "I just don't want to lose you, too."

Aria shrugged and said, "No worries there, Harry. You're not in danger of losing me as a friend." She frowned and asked uncertainly, "Have you heard from Ginny about how her parents are responding to the whole Riley-being-a-Death-Eater situation?"

"Yeah," Harry said with a frown. He looked down for a moment, shifting uneasily on his feet as he said, "Mrs. Weasley became hysterical, thought about bringing Ginny and Ron out of school, and the Order is putting up twenty-four-hour watches on the place. Mr. Weasley is really upset, but not as bad as Mrs. Weasley."

"And Malfoy?" Aria asked curiously. "How is he?"

"He'll be fine, after a few days," Harry admitted. "I went by to see him today, and his mom was there. She went ballistic when she saw me, and Dumbledore had to separate us."

Aria shook her head, looking out over the Hogwarts ground as she muttered, "I can't believe this is all happening. I just want it to be over."

"That makes two of us," Harry agreed.

"Come on," Aria said, nodding to the side. "Let's go get ready for Potions."

"All right now, class," Slughorn said an hour later as he hovered over his own cauldron. "I want you to take your rat's tail and junoffle bean, and put them into the cauldron. The juice of the junoffle bean will turn your rat's tail slightly purple, so be prepared and don't panic, because it's completely normal."

Aria was hovering her own cauldron, anticipation about Wednesday almost making her forget about her potion altogether. Aria looked up and blinked in surprise when the doors to the room flung open, and an owl came flying through the air, a piece of parchment clutched in its talons. The owl flew over their heads and landed on the statue next to Slughorn.

The professor looked up in apparent surprise and delight as he said, "Oh! Gracious me, an owl! Let's see who has sent us such a formal notice today." He walked over and pulled the parchment out of the owl's talons, unrolling it and reading the letter. He looked up and over at Aria, a curious look on his face. "Aria, it seems that Professor Dumbledore would like to meet with you in his office."

Aria stared at Slughorn in surprise. She turned her head and saw that Ron, Hermione and Harry were looking at her in equal surprise. Aria had never been called out of class like this before.

"Don't dawdle now," Slughorn said energetically. "We mustn't keep Professor Dumbledore waiting, now must we?"

Aria hesitated before standing up and grabbing her supplies, shoving them into her backpack before flinging the strap over her shoulder. She walked past her friends and out of the classroom, heading over to Dumbledore's office. As she walked in, Aria heard a cooing sound. She turned her head and smiled when she saw a beautiful phoenix perched on one of the statues on Dumbledore's desk.

"Hello, Fawkes," Aria said gently as she walked over to the bird. The phoenix let out a gentle coo again, pleasant as as Aria stroked its long neck.

"Fawkes seems to have taken a liking to you, Aria."

Aria turned her head and smiled when she saw Dumbledore walking over, his hands folded behind his back. She nodded and said, "I've spent a lot of time with phoenixes. At Beauxbatons, I spent a lot of time with the Care of Magical Creatures classes, and phoenixes were one of our primary focuses because of their beauty, strength and incredibly bizarre attributes. They're amazing creatures."

"Indeed, they are. You've been to a great many places," Dumbledore observed. "Learned a great many things."

"Not as many as I would like, on both accounts," Aria said with a smile as she looked back at Fawkes, continuing to stroke the phoenix's neck.

"Aria," Dumbledore said as he walked over to stand behind his desk, a serious look on his face. "Please sit down."

Aria narrowed her eyes seriously before sitting down in one of the chairs, only to ask suspiciously, "Why do I feel that this isn't going to be a pleasant conversation?"

"Do you know why I've called you in here today?"

"No, but I feel that I'm about to find out."

"I understand that you've been working in the Room of Requirement a lot over the past month and a half, working on all kinds of potions outside of your N.E.W.T.s requirements," Dumbledore said with a frown. "Primarily potions that center around tracking and/or locating."

Aria narrowed her eyes even further and she said suspiciously, "I don't know how you know this, but yes, I've been working on potions to find Riley. I haven't succeeded yet, but I haven't given up yet."

"I must ask you to stop searching, Aria," Dumbledore said, surprising Aria. "I must ask you to stop working so hard."

Aria stared up at Dumbledore, realizing that she couldn't have worded her surprise if she'd tried to. She just stared at him in silence for a moment before asking in confusion, "Did I miss something here?"

"No."

"Why would I possibly give up on searching for Riley?"

"Because I've asked you to."

"What about Riley?" Aria asked defensively. "She's a Death Eater, and not by choice. Doesn't she matter to anyone anymore? Do you want to just give up on her altogether? Because I won't."

"Of course she matters," Dumbledore insisted seriously. "And I haven't given up on her, either."

"Then why would you want me to stop looking for her?" Aria asked, no less confused.

"I'm afraid that I can't tell you that," Dumbledore said gently. "However, I have to ask you to stop looking."

"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore," Aria said, shaking her head. She stood up and took several steps away, only to stop and look back at Dumbledore through narrowed eyes. "I don't care if you are the greatest wizard of all time, or if you're the Headmaster of this school. If Riley's alive, which we both know she is, I won't stop searching, even if it means leaving Hogwarts."

"I was afraid you would say that," Dumbledore said with a frown. "It won't have to come down to that,

Aria. I'm willing to tell you the truth, but only if you promise not to tell anyone, and that you will not act rashly."

"What are you talking about?" Aria asked, narrowing her eyes at Dumbledore suspiciously.

"Aria," Dumbledore said seriously, looking Aria in the eye. "I will tell you what I know, but only if you promise me."

"All right, I promise," Aria said quickly, her eyes still narrowed in suspicion. "Now, tell me."

Dumbledore nodded to the chair she'd been sitting in and said, "Please sit down again."

Aria hesitated, not sure of what to do. Finally, she sat down and stared up at Dumbledore expectantly. "What's going on?" she asked, knowing that something was wrong.

Dumbledore sat down on the edge of his desk, facing Aria as he said calmly, "Riley is safe, unharmed, and not currently in action. She still has the Dark Mark, and none of her memories, but she is safe."

"What?" Aria asked excitedly, moving forward to the edge of her seat. "You know where she is? Where?"

"That, I can't tell you," Dumbledore said, shaking her head.

"Why not?"

"Because honestly, I don't know," Dumbledore admitted, shrugging. "But I do know that she's safe and unharmed."

"How safe could she be when she's a Death Eater?"

"Because she's a Death Eater, they _won't_ harm her," Dumbledore admitted. "Strictly speaking, there's no _safer_ place for her right now."

"Wait a minute," Aria said, shaking her head in confusion as she looked at Dumbledore. "Does this mean..." Her eyes widened in alarm and she exclaimed, "Does this mean that you've known where Riley has been _this entire time?_"

"As of a week after she disappeared, yes."

Aria closed her eyes and pinched right between her eyes. She looked away, clearly trying not to throw up. "Dumbledore..."

Dumbledore frowned and said, "I felt that it was the best decision, not telling you that I knew."

Aria's eyes shot wide open and lit up with disbelief and rage as she stood up, yelling angrily, "What are you talking about? Why didn't you do something? Why didn't you help her?"

"What could I have done?" Dumbledore pointed out, looking at Aria calmly. "She was made a Death Eater the day she lost her memory, when I was away from the school grounds. I didn't know, and there was nothing I could have done to prevent that."

"You could have prevented _all_ of it!" Aria yelled angrily. "Ron's broken ribs, enduring the Cruciatus Curse, Hermione being beaten, Aria getting hit with the Cruciatus Curse, Ginny being mentally screwed over by Riley, _all_ of it! You could have stopped it if you'd just gone in there and saved her!"

"She doesn't need saving," Dumbledore said calmly. "She's safe."

"How can she possibly be safe when she's being used by Voldemort?" Aria yelled angrily, ignoring the horrified gasps from all of the paintings around her. Aria's eyes blazed furiously as she yelled, "You've let her stay with them for over three months, knowing where is and what she's going through!" When Dumbledore said nothing, Aria turned around, setting her hands backwards on her hips. She lowered her head, only to ask through gritted teeth, "Tell me one thing. Was it Snape who told you where she's been?"

When Dumbledore said nothing, Aria suddenly stormed off out of the room. "Aria!" Dumbledore yelled in command, but Aria didn't stop.

Aria stormed out of the office, walking as fast as possible down the hallway. She passed several other students, not even noticing them. She stormed right into Snape's classroom, right past the rows of tables, which were filled with clueless fifth-years. Aria saw Snape standing at the front of the room, a wand in his hand and facing the far wall. He turned to face her, only Aria to give a fast and hard snap of her wand with her right hand, sending Snape's flying through the air with a silent disarming spell.

There were several loud gasps as students watched with horror and awe, Ginny and Luna included. Aria stormed right up to Snape and snapped her wand at him, a spell flashing through the air and hitting Snape right in the chest, sending him flying up and into his desk, causing it to break into many pieces.

As Aria walked right up to him, ignoring the shrieks and screams of the younger students, Aria yelled angrily, "_You son of a bitch!_"

"Aria!" Ginny yelled in panic as she got to her feet and leapt over the desk she was at.

"Don't move, Miss Weasley," Snape said, each word drawn out coldly as he got to his feet. He stared right at Aria, his eyes looking right into her blazing brown eyes. "Just get the other students out of here. I'm not in any serious danger."

That did it.

As Ginny and Luna began to escort the other students out, there was a sudden blast of orange light, and a second later, Snape was lying on the ground, lacerations all over his face. Ginny gasped, her eyes widening in alarm as she rushed her classmates out of the room.

All of a sudden, Aria was hit by a blast of powerful blast of energy that sent her flying through the air and onto the ground. She didn't move, not even to open her eyes.

"I'm afraid that qualifies as acting rashly," Dumbledore said as he walked into the room, his wand in his right hand as he looked down at Aria's motionless body.

Snape narrowed his eyes in annoyance as he stood up. "That deserves a detention, at least."

"No need," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "When she wakes up in a few minutes, Aria won't remember why she attacked you."

"Which is?"

"I told her the truth, or at least most of it."

Snape narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why?"

"I wanted to see her reaction, to see if she would keep her promise to not

Snape held his right hand out toward his wand, and it came flying through the air until he caught it. He used the energy from the wand to reach up with his free hand, waving it in front of his face until all of the wounds were gone, cleared up without a trace of injury.

"What now?" he asked as he walked over to Dumbledore's side.

"Now," Dumbledore said with a sigh, "We wait."


	50. Chapter 50: The Last Night

A/N: Okay, the end is near and almost here. Four more chapters after this chapter, and then this story will be done, and I'll be onto the fourth. Feels like I've been at this forever, huh? Just as a warning, this chapter isn't going to be very long, but longer than some. I hope you enjoy. Well, here it goes...

* * *

Chapter Fifty: The Last Night

Draco suddenly appeared at the doorway to his house, his wand in hand. He was wearing a black turtleneck, black coat and pants. He knocked on the door, and a moment later it opened up, Dolohov standing inside. Draco walked in past the older Death Eater, nodding to him curtly before heading down the hallway toward his room. As he walked, he saw his mother step out from one of the rooms, her eyes lighting up when she recognized Draco.

"Draco, welcome home," Narcissa said, embracing Draco in a hug.

Draco hugged his mother back, glad to be back home instead of in the hospital wing. He'd been there for four days, and he had felt as though his mind was going to explode. "Hey, Mother," he said quietly, still exhausted from the pain.

Narcissa pulled back, cupping Draco's face with her hands and looking him in the eyes as she asked worriedly, "Are you sure you should be Apparating this soon? That takes a lot of energy out of any wizard, even one in good health."

Draco shook his head and said, "I'll be fine, Mother. I'm just glad to be home instead back at Hogwarts."

Narcissa frowned, narrowing her eyes spitefully as she said in a low voice, "Soon, Potter will pay for what he's done."

"Yeah," Draco said with a nod. "But tonight, I just want to rest." He hesitated before asking, "Does the Dark Lord know?"

"Of course he knows," Narcissa said, sounding almost surprised. "The Dark Lord always knows."

"Is he angry?" Draco asked uneasily, not sure he wanted to know the truth.

"Actually, he seemed pleased," Narcissa said with a smile. When Draco looked at her worriedly, she shook her head and said, "Oh, no, no, it's not a bad thing. He was pleased that you disregarded the rules of Hogwarts to attack Potter. Any attacks on Potter make him pleased."

"Oh," Draco said uncertainly. "Oh, good. Now, I want to go talk to Riley before I get some rest."

Narcissa's smiled, her eyes changing to understanding. She nodded and said, "Don't strain yourself too much."

Draco smiled and nodded before walking past his mother and down to Riley's room. He opened the door uneasily, taking a step inside. He felt himself relax slightly when he saw her standing by a bookshelf, her fingers running over

"Draco," Riley said, her eyes lighting up excitedly, only to narrow and harden when she got a good look at Draco as he entered the room. "You're hurt."

Draco swallowed hard, having hoped that he wouldn't have to tell Riley the truth about being attacked by Harry. They walked toward one another, Riley setting her fingers on the soar wounds. Draco flinched at her touch, surprised at her alarming accuracy as to where his wounds were, even though he was wearing clothes.

"I can smell the wounds, where the blood was," Riley said in a low voice. She looked Draco in the eye, narrowing hers as she asked defensively, "Who did this to you?"

"Potter," Draco admitted, rolling his eyes.

Riley's eyes flashed angrily and she said in a low, threatening voice, "I'll murder him."

"Soon," Draco said, running his fingers through her hair. "When you come with the others to Hogwarts, you can do anything you want to him, and I won't stop you."

Riley set her left hand on Draco's, which was still rested on the side of her face. She held it there, leaning her face into his hand before smiling at him. "I was wondering why you weren't home, but now I understand." She leaned forward and kissed Draco. Their lips locked for a moment before Draco kissed her back.

After several moments, Draco pulled back and said quietly, "Riley, this isn't the only reason I've returned. I need you to do something for me while I'm here."

"What's wrong?" Riley asked worriedly. "Why are you being so quiet?"

"Just tired," Draco admitted. "The spell Potter used on me, it took a lot out of me. I probably shouldn't even be here, but I couldn't stand being in that hospital for another minute."

"All right," Riley said uneasily. "What do you want me to do for you?"

"Well, I've decided to go through with my plans for that fool, Dumbledore, sooner than we'd expected," Draco explained. When Riley blinked in surprise, Draco explained, "After everything that happened with Potter, I realized that I can't wait any longer. I'm going to do it tomorrow."

Riley's eyes shot wide open in surprise, and she asked, "Are you sure? Does the Dark Lord know?"

"He always left it up to me to choose when," Draco explained. "I'm going to tell all of the others about it later, but there's something I need you to do for me before then, something to help make the night go smoother."

"What's that?"

Draco reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a clump of papers. He unfolded them and handed them to Riley. "I need you to make this potion for me."

Riley took the papers and read the scribblings. "Felix Felicis?" she asked in surprise. She looked Draco in the eye and asked, "You want me to make you some liquid luck?"

"I stole these from one of Slughorn's books. I need whatever help I can get," Draco admitted. "Tomorrow night is going to be tough, for all of us. Also, when you come, I don't want you to come near Dumbledore. I want you there, just not with me."

"What do you want me to do, then?" Riley asked, sounding confused.

"I don't really care," Draco admitted. "Just do your thing, and have a field day on the place. Break everything in sight, for all I care. I just don't want you near Dumbledore, in case he tries anything." He set his hand on Riley's neck, looking her in the eye as he said quietly, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

Riley smiled and said, "Well, it shouldn't be a problem to make this, but it'll take sixteen hours to make, minimum."

Draco shrugged and said, "I've got the time. I just don't have the steady hand needed to make it."

"Well, then if you want to go to bed, I'll get started right away," Riley said as she turned around and walked over to one of the tables that had a cauldron and ingredients on it. "I'll need to send someone out to get some ingredients... I've got that..."

Draco walked up right behind Riley and grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her around to face him. She looked up at him in confusion, and he pressed his forehead against hers, saying in a sigh, "I want you with me tonight." He opened his eyes and looked into hers, only to say, "This can wait, can't it?"

Riley smiled, setting the papers down on the table before wrapping her arms around Draco's neck and kissing him. Draco closed his eyes as he kissed her, thinking to himself, _If I die tomorrow night, I don't want any regrets. I don't want to miss out on anything. Now, I won't have any. Now, I'll finally have everything I want._


	51. Chapter 51: My Friend

A/N: And once this chapter is done, I'm officially done with this part of the series! I'll be putting the other chapters up after it, but then I can take a breather for a week or so before I put up the fourth one. Then, I'll be done. Well, done until I restart 'Where It All Began'. I just don't have the time right now to worry about putting that one up at the same time. Besides, it'll make more sense after the fourth one, I guess. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the final chapters.

* * *

Chapter Fifty-one: My Friend

Rain poured down from the sky like sobbing eyes, hard and uncontrolled. Not a single light was on in Hogsmeade, not a single lantern lit in the shops or street. No one was around to see a single person lurking down the increasingly dark and dank streets. Covered in a black cloak that covered their entire figure, the person made their way down the street

The person knocked on the door of the jokes shop, and after a moment, the door opened up and revealed the standing and solemn figure of Fred Weasley, obviously having expected this visitor. "Hey," Fred said as he stepped back to let the person in. "Come in, where it's dry."

"Thanks," the girl said as she pulled the hood of her cloak off and let her black hair fall down her back.

"I wasn't sure if you'd make it," Fred admitted as he faced her. "After all, with all of the tight security -"

"Are you kidding?" Aria asked, scoffing in disbelief as she pulled her cloak off, revealing a red tanktop and black jeans beneath. "Not even Dumbledore could hold me back, not if he tried his hardest."

"I doubt that," Fred pointed out.

"Whatever," Aria said, shaking her head and narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "I don't know why, but I have the feeling that I should know something, something that I don't currently know."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"I don't know," Aria admitted. "It's like I've got this big hole in my memory, something that I should remember, but that I don't." She shook her head and said, "Whatever it is, I think Dumbledore knows more than he's telling us about Riley's location."

"I can't imagine that Dumbledore would lie about something this serious," Fred said uncertainly.

"Hmm," Aria said in a thoughtful voice. "You're probably right. Either way, I'm still suspicious."

"You have to be suspicious these days," Fred admitted as he walked across the room and behind the counter. He pulled out two Butterbeers and popped the tops off of them as he said, "Especially if you want to make it out alive."

"Exactly," Aria agreed. "Now, are you ready? We did come here in the middle of the night to work on potions to find Riley, correct? And to restore her memory?"

"Yes," Fred said with a nod. "You told me that you had a new idea, that you had found a way to find the potion. What is that, a good luck charm? Some lucky spell?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Aria said as she pulled out a small vial from her pocket, holding up the clear liquid to Fred.

"What's this?" Fred asked as he looked at the vial in confusion. "Some lucky potion?"

"_The _lucky potion," Aria explained. "Felix Felicis."

"Liquid Luck?" Fred asked in surprise.

"That's right," Aria said with a nod. "I won it at the very beginning of the year, and after Riley went missing, I had a feeling that I might need it again. Now, I figure that if we drink the potion, we'll know what to do."

"Go ahead, then, drink it," Fred insisted.

"No," Aria said, shaking her head and holding the vial out to Fred. "_You _drink it."

"Me?" Fred exclaimed. "But I can't come up with a complicated potion like that, not in this amount of time! Not even if I had my _whole life _to do it!"

"Well, you don't have your whole life to do it, and the complexity of a potion isn't what the potion _does_," Aria insisted. "It's finding the correct proportions and ingrediants, not to mention putting them together in the exact and necessary manner, that makes it nearly impossible to discover potions like these."

"But it seems like _you'd _be the best one for this," Fred insisted, staring at the vial as though afraid of it. "I'm a complete clutz."

"No," Aria said, shaking her head. "I need to be thinking as clearly as possible, and if I take that, I won't be. If you take this, I guarantee that everything will turn out all right." She pushed it into Fred's hands. "Go ahead. Drink it."

Fred hesitated before taking the drink, popping the cork, and drinking it whole. When he finished, his eyes began to change, as though lit with a whole new light. Then he exclaimed, "I know what to do!"

* * *

Draco stared up and out of the window in his room, looking up at the dark and rainy sky. He was standing in his black pants, without a shirt on, yet he didn't even feel the cold air against his skin. He was completely numb.

The raindrops outside hit the window in a sad and depressing manner, as though there was no humor and happiness left in the world. Shockingly enough, Draco felt that this mirrored what he felt on the inside. He knew that something bad was about to happen, something other than what he was about to do. The rain was lightening up, and Draco stood

"Draco," Riley said as she walked up behind Draco and wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked at him from the side and whispered, "It's time to go."

"All right," Draco said as he turned his attention from the wet windows to Riley. He held up the vial of Liquid Luck that Riley had delivered to him an hour ago, and he drank it whole, only to look at Riley and say, "Let's do it."

* * *

"I've got it!" Fred exclaimed with delight after four hours of hard work. The rain had completely stopped, enhancing the idea that today might just be luckier than normal.

"What?" Aria asked in surprise as she walked up beside Fred. "Are you sure? Because we don't have a chance to get this wrong."

"I'm positive," Fred said as he held the vial of green liquid up. "I've got the potion to bring her memory back, _and _the one to find her."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Find a map," Fred ordered.

Aria ran over and grabbed one of the magical maps from behind the counter, rolling it out onto the table. Fred began to pour the green liquid over the map and said loudly and clearly, "Show us where Riley O'Malley is." A moment later, all of the green liquid began to circle around a single spot on the map.

"That can't be right," Aria said, looking confused. "According to this, she's at Hogwarts."


	52. Chapter 52: The LightningStruck Tower

Chapter Fifty-two: The Lightning-struck Tower

Harry hurried over to the door leading to the spiral staircase, but his hand had only just closed upon the iron ring of the door when he heard running footsteps on the other side. He looked around at Dumbledore, who gestured him to retreat. Harry backed away, drawing his wand as he did so.

The door burst open and somebody erupted through it and shouted, "_Expelliarmus!_"

Harry's body become instantly rigid and immobile, and he felt himself fall back against the tower wall, propped like an unsteady statue, unable to move or speak. He could not understand how it had happened. Expelliarmus was not a Freezing Charm.

Then, by the light of the Mark, he saw Dumbledore's wand flying in an arc over the edge of the ramparts and understood. Dumbledore had wordlessly immobilized Harry, and the second he had taken to perform the spell had cost him the chance of defending himself.

Standing against the ramparts, very white in the face, Dumbledore still showed no sign of panic or distress. He merely looked across at his disarmer and said, "Good evening, Draco."

Malfoy stepped forward, glancing around quickly to check that he and Dumbledore were alone. His eyes fell upon the second broom.

"Who else is here?"

"A question I might ask you. Or are you acting alone?"

Harry saw Malfoy's pale eyes shift back to Dumbledore in the greenish glare of the Mark.

"No," he said. "I've got backup. There are Death Eaters here in your school tonight."

"Well, well," said Dumbledore. "Very good indeed. You found a way to let them in, did you?"

* * *

There was a creak from the Vanishing Cabinet as the door slowly began to open, revealing two people inside, Riley and Alecto. They stepped out of the Cabinet and shut the door. A few moments later, the door opened again, and Amycus stepped out, along with Fenrir. Fenrir, Amycus and Alecto were all wearing their black robes, the hoods down, while Riley wore her strapless black leather shirt and mini-skirt, without the gloves. She was wearing a long black leather coat that fell to her ankles. All four had wands in their hands and looked determined, but none more than Riley, whose eyes seemed to reflect lightning.

"Come on," Riley said. "Draco will be waiting for us. We're here to make sure that he gets the job done, and that no one bothers him while doing it. Severus should be meeting up with us and helping us, but I don't want to rely on him. There's no telling where he is, and I don't have the patience to wait for him when Draco could have been discovered."

"Who died and made you leader?" Alecto asked, sounding truly offended.

Riley narrowed her eyes at Alecto. "No one, and I want to make sure it stays that way. Draco, however, _did _point me in charge of this mission in his absence, and I won't be letting him or the Dark Lord down. We're getting this job done. Now, I want you three to head upstairs first. I'm going to follow, but I'm going to try to track down Severus and any allies. If you can't see, or _smell _me," she said, looking at Greyback. "Don't stop. Keep going. I'll probably be in a fight."

"Right," Greyback said, drawing his lips back and revealing his teeth.

Riley blinked as she looked at the others. "Let's get this over with." With that, she turned around and led the way out of the room, clutching her knuckles in preparation.

* * *

Mafloy stared at Dumbledore. "But I got this far, didn't I?" he said slowly. "They thought I'd die in the attempt, but I'm here... and you're in my power... I'm the one with the wand... You're at my mercy..."

"No, Draco," said Dumbledore quietly. "It is _my_ mercy, and not yours, that matters now."

Malfoy didn't speak. his mouth was open, his wand hand still trembling. Harry thought he saw it drop by a fraction.

But suddenly footsteps were thundering up the stairs, and a second later, Malfoy was buffeted out of the way as three people in black robes burst through the door onto the ramparts. Still paralyzed, his eyes staring unblinkingly, Harry gazed in terror upon the three strangers. It seemed the Death Eaters had won the fight below.

A lumpy-looking man with an odd, lopsided leer gave a wheezy giggle. "Dumbledore cornered!" he said, and he turned to a stocky little woman who looked as though she could be his sister and who was grinning eagerly. "Dumbledore wandless, Dumbledore alone! Well done, Draco, well done!"

"Wait," Draco said, his eyes shifting around, growing sterner and angry. "There are only three of you. Where's Riley? _WHERE IS SHE?_" he yelled, power in his voice that seemed to surprise everyone.

The woman chuckled. "Don't worry, little Draco, that bossy brat is outside, working now."

Draco visibly relaxed, though the anger in his eyes shifted from the Death Eaters to Dumbledore as he spoke.

"Well, well," Dumbledore said. "It's hard to focus on killing someone when you're blinded by love, isn't it, Draco? You can't think about anything else besides Miss O'Malley. No doubt, you're the one who used the memory charm on her to begin with, am I right?"

"Yeah," Draco said calmly through narrowed eye, which weren't filled with anger, but sincerity as he then added, "And it was the best thing I ever did. Finally gave her the ability to choose her own path without you or her past getting in her way, and look where she is now, with Voldemort, and with me."

_Love, my ass,_ Harry thought, anger rising inside of him. _When I tell Fred this, you're not going to be around long enough to be with anyone. We're going to get her back._

"Easy, Draco," the lumpy-looking man said as he walked behind Draco. "Remember the mission here."

"Good evening, Amycus," said Dumbledore calmly, as though welcoming the man to a tea part. "And you've brought Alecto, too. ...Charming..."

The woman gave an angry little titter. "Think your little jokes'll help you on your deathbed, then?" she jeered.

"Jokes? No, no, these are manners," Dumbledore replied.

"Do it," said the stranger standing nearest to Harry, a big, rangy man with matted grey hair and whiskers, whose black Death Eater robes looked uncomfortably tight. He had a voice like none that Harry had ever heard: a rasping bark of a voice. Harry could smell a powerful mixture of dirt, sweat, and, unmistakably, of blood coming from him. His filthy hands had long, yellowish nails.

"Is that you, Fenrir?" asked Dumbledore, as though trying to peer through the dark.

"That's right," answered the man. "Pleased to see me, Dumbledore?"

"No, I cannot say that I am."

Greyback grinned, showing pointed teeth. Blood trickled down his chin and he licked his lips slowly, obscenely.

"But you know how much I like kids, Dumbledore. The innocence, it's _breathtaking_."

"Am I to take it that you are attacking even without the full moon now? This is most unusual... You have developed a taste for human flesh that cannot me satisfied once a month?"

"That's right," said Fenrir Greyback. "Shocks you that, does it, Dumbledore? Frightens you?"

"Tell me, I'm curious," Dumbledore said in a polite voice. "What purpose does Riley have here? Why has Voldemort seen to send her? After all, sending her back to Hogwarts would be considered a huge risk, would it not?"

"We do not question the Dark Lord," Alecto said as she walked around, keeping her eyes focused on Dumbledore. "If he orders us, we obey. Riley knows that better than any of us."

* * *

Riley walked down the hallway, her leather jacket flowing behind her as she walked. Her eyes were narrowed and determined, her wand in her left hand. As she walked, she saw Crabbe and Goyle emerge from the stairs, both wearing black pants and shirts, slouching lazily, only to stop abruptly when they saw Riley. They looked over at her in alarm and Goyle exclaimed, "_Riley_?"

"Get your wands out, boys," Riley said firmly. "We're going to cause some mayhem before Draco finishes his task."

"Then it's true?" Crabbe asked anxiously.

"About me being a Death Eater?" Riley asked, blinking as she looked at the two. "Yes, it's true. Now, get ready, unless you're going to slither back into your holes and make me kill you."

Crabbe and Goyle looked at one another anxiously, then shook their heads and pulled out their wands. Riley smirked and said maliciously, "Good. It's time we change Hogwarts, _forever_."

Crabbe and Goyle followed Riley down the hallway. Riley held her wand up in the air and every window, frame and form of glass broke, shattering all around them. Crabbe and Goyle flinched, but none of the glass hit them. Riley pointed her wand at several statues and they exploded. She just continued walking, stepping right through the rubble.

Riley stopped at a window and smirked as she looked down through it. It was facing the area beneath the Gryffindor tower. She said with a sly smile, "This is it, boys." She stepped up onto the ledge facing outward, the wind that picked up outside blowing her hair and jacket back. She raised her left wand to the sky and there was a sudden flash of green light. It streamed from her wand, blasting into the sky. The light twisted and began to form something, a symbol. It was the Dark Mark, hovering above Hogwarts.

Once the Mark was in the sky, Riley pointed her wand down to the air beneath her. There was another flash of green light, but this time shadows began to gather at her feet. She stepped down onto the black cloud, and strangely enough, she didn't fall through. The black cloud was holding her up. Crabbe and Goyle stepped onto the cloud next, and Riley looked back at them to say, "Put your masks up."

Crabbe and Goyle both ran their wands across their faces, their Hogwarts robes changing to the black robes of a Death Eater. As they did, the masks went up, hiding their identities.

Riley looked forward again, holding her hands out to either side as she said, "Then let those maggots scream for death and mercy, and I'll show them none at all."

As the cloud began to lower, Riley's eyes flashed. At the exact same moment, all of the windows on the wall behind them suddenly exploded, the glass of over thirty windows shattering and flying in every direction. Riley raised her head and let out a menacing laugh, holding her wand up into the air. Lightning shot out of it and broke large holes out of the building, each attack deliberate and meant to invoke chaos. Riley noticed kids, students, running all around on the ground. They were afraid, exactly what the Dark Lord had wanted.

Once low enough, Riley leapt from the cloud of shadows, and landed easily on her feet. Crabbe and Goyle waited until they could step off, by which time Riley was looking around, determining what to attack next.

Then, she smelt it. Or more specifically, _them_.

Riley drew her lips back in a snarl. "I was wondering when you'd come." She turned her head in time to see four people walking over, all with wands in their hands. Hermione, Ron and Ginny all stood behind Aria, all wearing normal, casual clothes. It was as though they'd expected her arrival. Riley ran her tongue over her teeth and said in a hiss, "And now it's time for the bloodbath to begin."


	53. Chapter 53: The Spell To Finish It

Chapter Fifty-three: The Spell To Finish It

Before they could say anything, Riley suddenly thrust her wand at Hermione and Ginny. "Die, bloodtraitors!" The two girls were hit with enormously powerful blasts of energy, only for Aria to send a powerful spell at Riley. It hit her in the side and sent her flying backwards. Riley got to her feet, drawing her lips back in a sickened smile as blood drained from her mouth.

"Not bad, Hardwick," Riley said as she stood up, only to lash her wand out. "But you shouldn't have been so concerned about me that you'd leave me alive. _Crucio!_" The spell hit Ron and sent him spasming all over the ground, convlusing and screaming in terror.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled aloud.

"Oh, shut up, you filthy Mudblood!" Riley yelled, and the spell suddenly split into two, focusing on both Hermione and Ron. They both sprawled out on the crowd, screaming as they endured unbearable torture.

"Hermione! Ron!" Ginny screamed in panic. She reached for her wand, only for a spell from Crabbe's wand to send the wand flying out of her reach.

"Back off!" Aria yelled as she cast a spell at Crabbe, only for Goyle to repel the spell.

"Good work, boys," Riley said to them. "Now, go take care of those other maggots, and I'll take care of these guys. They won't be any trouble." She released the spell on Hermione and Ron, leaving them lying on the ground, both twitching.

"Are we really going to do this?" Aria asked as she narrowed her eyes to the cold wind.

Riley chuckled darkly and tilted her head slightly to the side as she said in a dark voice, "I've been waiting for some time to do this."

"Aria?" Ginny asked worriedly as she scrambled over to Hermione's side. "They're bad. _Really _bad."

"Go get them help!" Aria demanded.

"If she takes one step toward that building, I'll kill her instantly," Riley said before Ginny could move, the tip of her wand glowing green with ill-intent. "You wouldn't want her to die, would you, Aria?"

"Aria!" Ginny exclaimed in panic, obviously not knowing what to do.

"You wouldn't dare," Aria said to Riley in an almost growling tone, under her breath.

"Don't you get it, you fool?" Riley yelled madly. "There's nothing I won't do! None of this means anything to me, so why shouldn't I just bring it to a crumbling halt?"

"You have no idea who you even are anymore, do you?" Aria asked in disbelief.

"That's just it, Hardwick," Riley said, raising her head and eying Aria madly. "I _do _know who I am, and it's not some sniveling coward. It's not _me_ who has delusions about who I am. It's you, and the rest of the daft Hogwarts bloodtraitors!"

Aria shook her head in disbelief and said, "We have your cure, Riley. We can change you back."

"Back into what?" Riley scoffed in disbelief. "Into the sniveling coward that always played by the rules? A self-righteous bitch who might as well have been Dumbledore's lapdog?" She scoffed and said, "Please. Being a Death Eater is much more rewarding."

"Is that what you feel?" Aria asked in disbelief. "Rewarded?" Riley narrowed her eyes, frowning as she looked right at Aria. Aria scoffed in disbelief as she said snidely, "Or do you even feel at all?"

"No," Riley said coldly. "I don't feel. I've never felt any emotions. All I do is follow the Dark Lord's orders. That's all that matters to me."

Aria shook her head at Riley and said, "It sickens me right to my stomach to see how far they've brought you down."

"Then let me rip that stomach right out of you!" Riley snapped, lashing out with her wand. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

"_Relashio!_" Aria snapped, striking out with her wand.

The two spells flung forward and hit one another, burning brightly and causing an explosion. Aria and Riley both fell to the ground, turning their heads away from the powerful force that followed. When the explosion was gone, Aria began to get to her feet, only to be blindsided by a red blast, sending her flying backward and onto the ground.

Aria coughed as she began to push herself to her hands and knees, coughing out blood all over the grass. She narrowed her eyes and thought, _Come on, Fred. Hurry up._

Before Aria could get to her feet, she was suddenly hit with another spell, this one pinning her to the ground as huge scratches ripped out across her shoulders and back. She let out a loud moan of pain, gripping at the grass tightly and pulling pieces out of the ground.

Aria could hear Riley laughing as she drew closer. "Now, isn't this disappointing?"

Aria felt a foot touch the insides of her ribs and push her back onto her back, forcing her to look up at Riley. Aria felt sick when she saw the madness in Riley's eyes, the absolute lust for the kill.

Riley pointed her wand down at Aria and said tauntingly, "And the question becomes, how do we pass the time away until Draco and the others are done?"

"Malfoy?" Aria rasped in disbelief. "What's _he _doing here?"

"Oh, taking care of some stuff for the Dark Lord," Riley said casually. "But don't worry, I'm sure it won't be long before they're done with him."

"'Him'?" Aria asked, fear suddenly rising in her.

"Oh, that's right," Riley said with a slight hint of pleasure in her voice. "You don't know. By sunrise, Dumbledore will be dead..." Aria's eyes widened in horror and fear spiked within her, only to grow even more when Riley laughed while saying, "And the weaklings of Hogwarts will cower before us and the Dark Lord."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

Riley turned around and a grin came to her face as she said, "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Fred stood about forty feet away, looking over at Riley through narrowed eyes. His wand was in his right hand, but he didn't raise it, just continued to look at Riley. "I see that you were expecting me," he said in a casual voice.

"More like _hoping_," Riley said, drawing away from Aria. "You see, as nice as it would be to crush Aria, I know that she will never take me seriously as an opponent. You, however," she said with a grin, nodding toward Fred, "have proven in the past that you will fight me." She twirled her wand in between her fingers, saying casually, "I have been itching for a good fight recently, and I think you can give me one."

"I could," Fred agreed. "If I wanted to."

"So tell me, Weasley," Riley asked, continuing to mindlessly twirl the wand. "What is it that you want?"

Fred narrowed his eyes and said darkly, "I want my girlfriend back!"

Fred suddenly lashed out with his wand and sent a spell flying at Riley. It hit her in the shoulder and sent her flying through the air, hitting the ground hard. She let out a groan as she hit the ground, only to laugh as she began to get to her feet. "Interesting, isn't it?" she chuckled.

"What's that?" Fred asked, his eyes continuing to narrow.

Riley stood up and rolled her neck around, letting the muscles pop. She chuckled and said, "How easily you give up on the people you care about. If you weren't a Weasley bloodtraitor, maybe the Dark Lord would take you as a Death Eater."

"I would sooner die than join You-Know-Who," Fred said angrily. "And there was a time when you would have, too."

Riley shrugged and said, "Things change."

"They sure do," Fred said with a scoff. "And right now, I'm going to prove it."

Riley smirked and raised her wand to say, "Bring it on, bloodtraitor."

* * *

Harry watched in silence as the Death Eaters continued to mock Dumbledore, unable to do anything about it thanks to Dumbledore. Malfoy was showing less resolution than ever. He looked terrified as he stared into Dumbledore's face, which was even paler, and rather lower than usual as he slid so far down the rampart wall.

"He's not long for this world anyway, if you ask me!" said the lopsided man, to the accompaniment of his sister's wheezing giggles. Look at him - what's happened to you, then, Dumby?"

"Oh, weaker resistance, slower reflexes, Amycus," said Dumbledore. "Old age, in short... One day, perhaps, it will happen to you... if you are lucky..."

"What's that mean, then, what's that mean?" yelled the Death Eater, suddenly violent. "Always the same, weren't yeh, Dumby, talking and doing nothing, nothing. I don't even know why the Dark Lord's bothering to kill yer! Come on, Draco, do it!"

"Wait a minute," Alecto said as she looked out of the tower, her eyes narrowed to the darkness. "What's that, in the sky?" Her grin grew wider as she said, "It seems that someone has conjured the Dark Mark without us."

"Yes," Dumbledore said quietly. "I sense powerful magic at foot, someone very strong on the grounds." He looked at Draco and asked, "What mission, exactly, did you give to Riley, Draco?"

Malfoy smirked and said, "Nothing of substance, just to go around and do whatever she wants. No doubt she's having her fun with the other students and property. She is, after all, one of the best of us."

"The Dark Lord's new favorite," Alecto sneered in an almost disgusted manner. "In fact, I'm surprised that he didn't just have _her _kill you, Dumbledore. After all, she wouldn't have taken this long to kill you. She does seem to have that knack, the ability to kill without second thought or remorse. Admirable, when you think about it."

"She has turned into quite the Death Eater, hasn't she?" Dumbledore asked in a pleasant voice. "What I can't help but wonder, though, who trained her to be that way?"

"The Dark Lord and Bella did most of the work," Malfoy sneered. "I just helped her out with the finer points."

"And yet it never occurred to you that she might be in danger here," Dumbledore said wistfully. "In the presence of her friends, the people who really care about her. How disappointing."

"You underestimate her," Malfoy scoffed. "You can't even conceive of how powerful Riley has become."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Dumbledore said, still sounding rather pleasant. "Still, I can sense this spark in the distance somewhere, saying that it's going to take Riley."

Harry noticed Malfoy's eyes flash in fear, only for Amycus to say, "Don't listen to him, Draco. The Dark Lord trusts Riley, as should you of all people."

Malfoy nodded and said, "He's right. Don't try playing any head games with me, Dumbledore! Riley will kill whoever goes up against her. I can promise you that. As for you..." His wand shook as he focused on Dumbledore.

"Now, Draco, quickly!" Amycus yelled angrily.

But Malfoy's hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim.

"I'll do it," snarled Greyback, moving toward Dumbledore with his hands outstretched, his teeth bared.

"I said no!" shouted Amycus. There was a flash of light and the werewolf was blasted out of the way; he hit the ramparts and staggered, looking furious. Harry's heart was hammering so hard it seemed impossible that nobody could hear him standing there, imprisoned by Dumbledore's spell - if he could only move, he could aim a curse from under the cloak -

"Draco, do it or stand aside so one of us -" screeched Alecto, but at the precise moment, the door the the ramparts burst open once more and there stood Snape, his wand clutched in his hand as his black eyes swept the scene, from Dumbledore slumped against the wall, to the four Death Eaters, including the enraged werewolf, and Malfoy.

"We've got a problem, Snape," said Amycus, whose eyes and wand were fixed alike upon Dumbledore, "the boy doesn't seem able."

But somebody else had spoken Snape's name, quite softly. "Severus..."

The sound frightened Harry beyond anything he had experienced all evening. For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading.

Snape said nothing, but walked forward and pushed Malfoy roughly out of the way. The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Even the werewolf seemed cowed.

Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face.

"Severus... please..."

Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

* * *

Riley, Aria and Fred all looked to the sky as they heard a loud scream come from the Astronomy tower. A second Dark Mark suddenly flew up into the sky, joining with the one Riley had made, causing it to burn more brightly than ever.

Riley threw her head back and laughed madly as she yelled, "He did it! Dumbledore's dead."

"No," Aria rasped from where she lay on the ground, still trembling from her bleeding wounds.

"It can't be," Fred whispered in disbelief and horror as he looked up at the tower.

"Oh, yes it can," Riley laughed, nodding as she raised her wand. "And in that knowledge, despair and die!" She suddenly thrust her wand forward, sending another flash of light toward Fred.

* * *

Harry tore past Hagrid and his opponent, took aim at Snape's back, and yelled, "_Stupefy!_"

He missed; the jet of red light soared past Snape's head; Snape shouted, "Run, Draco!" But Harry noticed that Malfoy didn't run away, just backed up. Snape turned to face Harry, twenty yards away.

"_Cruc-_"

But Snape parried the curse, knocking Harry backward off his feet before he could complete it; Harry rolled over and scrambled back up again as the huge Death Eater behind him yelled, "_Incendio!_" Harry heard an explosive bang and a dancing orange light spilled over all of them; Hagrid's house was on fire.

"Fang's in there, yer evil -!" Hagrid bellowed.

"_Cruc-_" yelled Harry for the second time, aiming for the figure ahead illuminated in the dancing firelight, but Snape blocked the spell again. Harry could see him sneering.

"No Unforgivable Curses from you, Potter!" he shouted over the rushing of the flames, Hagrid's yells, and the wild yelping of the trapped Fang. "You haven't got the nerve or the ability, even if your friend O'Malley does. You don't have -"

"_Incarc_ -" Harry roared, but Snape deflected the spell with an almost lazy flick of his arm.

"Fight back!" Harry screamed at him. "Fight back, you cowardly -"

"Coward, did you call me, Potter?" shouted Snape. "Your father would never attack be unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?"

"_Stupe-_"

"Blocked again and again and again until you learn to keep your mouth shut and your mind closed, Potter!" sneered Snape, deflecting the curse once more. "Now come!" he shouted at the huge Death Eater behind Harry. "It is time to be gone, before the Ministry turns up -"

"_Impedi-_"

But before he could finish this jinx, excruciating pain hit Harry; he keeled over in the grass. Someone was screaming, he would surely die of this agony, Snape was going to torture him to death or madness -

"No!" roared Snape's voice and the pain stopped as suddenly as it had started. Harry lay curled on the dark grass, clutching his wand and panting; somewhere overhead Snape was shouting, "Have you forgotten our orders? Potter belongs to the Dark Lord - we are to leave him! Go! Go!" The other Death Eaters backed up, but didn't leave, only watched with smirks as Snape continued to face Harry.

Snape looked down at Harry with a sneer on his face as he said, "If you are so easy to turn down, I can't imagine how your pathetic friends are doing against Riley."

Fear gripped at Harry's heart, knowing that somewhere on the Hogwarts grounds, Riley was fighting her friends, the people who she really cared about. The thought made Harry want to die.

* * *

Riley reached up with a hand and touched her bleeding face. There were several scratches across her face, blood draining from them. She touched her fingertips to the blood and looked down at it, laughing madly. "Isn't it interesting how pain works? Your brains send signals that tell itself that something's wrong, that your body is in danger. And yet, my body feels nothing." She smirked at Fred and asked, "What's _your _brain telling you, Fred Weasley?"

Fred, who was standing twenty or more feet away, hunched over in pain as blood bleed profusely from his stomach, arms, chest and legs, looked up at Riley with narrowed eyes. "I never denied that you were stronger," he said in a stiff, pained voice.

"Then why bother fighting?" Riley asked, holding her hands out to the side. "I mean, we both know that you and your friends are going to die here. After all, you look ready to die right now, whereas I..." She waved her hand in front of her face, and when it came across, all of the fresh wounds on her face were gone, leaving the image that nothing was wrong. She smirked even more and said, "I can stand to go another ten rounds."

"How much longer is it going to take you to realize that your boss is a murderous pain in the ass?" Fredasked darkly.

Riley shrugged and asked, "Your point being?"

Fred scoffed and said, "Just this: you're going to come back whether you want to or not."

Riley rolled her eyes and said lazily, "And he goes on and on and on about me being the 'real' me." She glared at Fred and said, "All of you go on and on, yet none of you accept the fact that maybe I like being the way I am?"

"That's not possible," Fred spat, blood splattering all over the ground as he spoke.

"And why is that?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow as she shifted all of her weight to one side.

"Because you weren't given a choice," Fred said in a low tone. "And now, I'm going to give it back to you." He suddenly pulled a vial out of his jacket and threw it at Riley. The glass broke on impact, shattering the purple liquid all over her face and body.

"What?" Riley asked, looking down at the purple liquid. "What _is _this? I don't -"

Fred suddenly took an abrupt step forward and pointed his wand at Riley, thinking firmly, _Remember, Riley! Come back to me!_

There was a sudden flash of white light that blasted from the tip of Fred's wand, and before Riley could move to defend herself, it hit her in the chest and sent her flying backward. She landed on the ground and began shaking as she started to get to her hands and knees. The purple liquid was suddenly glowing brighter than anything Fred had seen, and it seemed to consume her body.

"What..." Riley rasped, barely able to speak. "What did you do? What did you-" Now on her knees, her head suddenly flung back and her eyes stretched wide open as white lights flew up into the sky from them. She let out a scream as every hole in her body emitted light, her arms spread out behind her.

"What's going on?" Aria demanded as she came closer, her body also covered in bleeding wounds. "Is this..."

"The spell," Fred stammered, limping as he came closer. "It's working."

Then, as quickly as it came, the light was gone, and Riley was lowering her head so that it hung low. She then began to raise it, moving very slowly.

"Riley?" Fred asked uncertainly as he drew a little closer, though he didn't lower his wand.

"What's..." Riley stammered, shaking her head. "Everything is so fuzzy, so muffled." She looked up at Fred through squinted and confused eyes. "Fred?" she rasped, obviously confused. "You're bleeding. Why are you..." Her voice trailed off, and her eyes began to widen in horror. She shook her head, her voice trembling as she said, "No. No. I didn't..._ Oh no!_" she cried as she doubled over, gripping at her head.

"Riley, what's wrong?" Fred demanded.

"I remember," Riley cried. "I don't know how, or why, but I remember it all. The Dark Lord... Bellatrix... Draco..." Her eyes squinted in horror she shook her head and said shakily, "Oh, no... Draco..."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked, narrowing his eyes down at Riley.

Riley looked right up into Fred's eyes and she stammered, "He... I..."

Fred's eyes widened with horror, anger and disbelief as he suddenly understood. Riley lowered her head, shaking terribly. Fred stared down at her, a look of disappointment and hurt in his eyes, only to close his eyes briefly, struggling to calm down.

"Aaah!" Riley yelled as she suddenly threw her head back in pain, gripping at her left forearm.

"Riley?" Fred asked, confused as he watched Riley. "What's going on?"

"He's angry," Riley gasped, her eyes wide. "He's so angry!"

"Who is?" Fred asked, confused.

"The Dark Lord!" Riley screamed, her eyes wide open to the sky and the Dark Mark.

Fred looked down at Riley's left arm and saw that the Dark Mark was burning more brightly than any Dark Mark Fred had ever seen, and he understood instantly.

* * *

All of the Death Eaters suddenly let out screams of pain, even Snape. Harry watched in disbelief as Draco, Alecto and Amicus all fell to their knees, Greyback letting out a terrible howl.

"What's going on?" Draco demanded, looking up at Snape, who was grabbing at his left arm in equal pain. Draco's eyes were filled with shock and pain as he yelled, "What is going on? Why's he so angry?"

"I don't know," Snape admitted through gritted teeth as he shook his head. "Something has changed, some big change that has angered the Dark Lord."

"No," Draco said, his eyes widening in horror. "Riley." He suddenly threw his head back and let out a scream of pain, gripping tightly at his arm. "She's changed back!" he yelled through gritted teeth. "They've returned her memories, haven't they?" he yelled at the sky.

Harry's eyes widened with surprise as a spark of hope burned in him. Riley had her memories back? She was back for good? In spite of his grief, Harry felt some gladness and hope.

"Let's go," Snape said through gritted teeth. "We can deal with the rest of them later. The Dark Lord needs us now."

And then, in a dark flash of smoke, all of the Death Eaters disappeared, all of them. Suddenly not having to fight, not having to defend himself or be strong anymore, Harry cowered on the ground, sobbing in pain and grief.

* * *

At the same time, Riley was still screaming, her eyes suddenly slammed shut as she doubled over. "He's so angry," she rasped. "He knows, he knows about... He knows..." Her screams turned into sobs, her body shaking horribly.

"Fight it, Riley," Fred said encouragingly, but in a low tone.

"I can't," Riley sobbed as she shook her head. "He's so angry. He's screaming for me to come back. He's _demanding _it."

"Don't listen to him," Fred said as he drew closer. "You don't have to obey him anymore. You don't have to listen to him.."

"He's too strong," Riley cried, shaking her head. "I can't... I need to..."

"Stay with us," Fred said seriously as he drew closer, lowering himself toward her. "You have to stay with us, Riley."

"I can't," Riley cried. "I've done too much... hurt you all..."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Fred insisted. "We've all searched for you. Riley and I found your cure. Now you have to do the rest of the work."

"I can't," Riley sobbed, lowering her head

Aria, who was covered in blood and scratches, slowly began to get to her feet, watching through somber eyes as Fred spoke to Riley. As he spoke, Ginny began to rise as well, Hermione crawling over to where Ron lay unconscious, though her eyes were glued to Fred and Riley as well.

"Look at me," Fred said in a low voice.

"No," Riley said, hanging her head. "No, I can't."

"Look at me!" Fred said more forcefully, turning Riley's head toward him. He looked down into her shaking eyes, tears covering them. He spoke clearly and firmly, "I love you, Riley."

"No," Riley said, trying to yank her head away. "Don't say that."

"I love you, Riley," Fred repeated, more forcefully this time as he pulled her face back to him, forcing her to look him in the eye. "I never stopped looking for you, never gave up hope. And now you're back, but you have got to beat him. You can't let him pull you back just because it's easier."

"The pain..." Riley sobbed. He blinked in surprise at her, and she continued to say, "So much pain that I've caused... to you and everyone... I..." She suddenly broke out in sobs again and lowered her head.

Fred pulled Riley close as he wrapped his arms around her. Riley cowered in his arms, him holding her tightly as she sobbed into his chest, not moving. As he did, he looked up and saw Ginny and Aria look toward one another, and then back at Riley and Fred. Fred blinked calmly at them, sending a silent message. Both seemed to understand.

Aria raised her wand into the air, her arm covered in blood and shaking. Then, a blast of white erupted from the tip of her wand, shooting up into the sky. The light exploded in the sky, similar to fireworks, but began to clear the dark clouds away, began to let in the light. As Aria looked back down, she could see Riley more clearly, covered in scratches and blood, but more importantly, safe in Fred's arms, crying her eyes out.


	54. Chapter 54: Goodbye, Hogwarts

Chapter Fifty-four: Good-bye, Hogwarts

Harry sat in the Hogwarts Express compartment, his feet propped up onto the seat across from him and his arms folded against his stomach. He stared out the window, his head leaned against the wall of the compartment, barely noticing as the fields passed by.

It had been a week since the battle, since Dumbledore had died and Riley had been given back her memories and life. Harry had returned from fighting Snape, only to find Riley crying into Fred's arms. Aria and Ginny had been awake and watching, though covered in blood. Hermione had been awake and covered in blood, but hovering over Ron, who had been unwounded, but unconscious and shuddering from suffering the affects of the Cruciatus curse. Hermione, Ginny and Aria had all been fixed up by Madame Pomfrey, but Ron had remained unconscious in the hospital wing for three days before he woke up. In spite of being healed, ever since that night, everyone in the castle had seemed depressed and lifeless, a feeling that Harry felt he could have defined in a dictionary. He could barely comprehend going back to the Dursleys, or doing anything else, but he had no choice. He'd promised Dumbledore that he would, and that he would find the Horcruxes, and that was all he cared about. He had nothing else left. He'd broken up with Ginny for the meantime, and would be lucky enough to have Ron and Hermione with him, but would be leaving behind everything else he'd ever known or cared about.

A moment later, Harry heard the compartment door open, distracting him from his thoughts. He turned his head and saw Aria standing there in her zip-up grey jacket, and black T-shirt and jeans, a concerned look on her face. George was standing behind her as she walked in, walking in as well.

"Hey, Harry," Aria said quietly as she and George sat down on the bench across from Harry, not bothering to ask him to move his feet. "How are you?"

"Peachy," Harry said sarcastically. He frowned, and then asked, "How's Riley?"

"Worse," George said with a frown, his eyes narrowing slightly. "She hasn't left the apartment yet. Fred brought her to our place and let her stay in his room while he sleeps on the couch. She hasn't left there yet, barely eaten anything. All she does is cry and sleep. Fred says that he'll watch her when she sleeps sometimes, and she tends to cry even then."

"I don't blame her," Aria said, frowning seriously. "Think of everything she's gone through, everything she's done. I mean, we don't even know about it all, and it's horrifying. Imagine what it must be like for her to look back at all of that, to have done it. She became the exact opposite of the person she was, all because Voldemort that she was a valuable asset. He turned her into the ideal Death Eater, against her will."

"It wasn't Voldemort's idea," Harry muttered, looking at his knees.

"What?" George asked, looking at Harry in confusion. Aria did as well, clearly not understanding either. "What do you mean?"

"It was Malfoy's idea to use her as a Death Eater," Harry said, letting out a sigh. He looked away from them, out the window as he said, "I heard him admit it to Dumbledore. He's the one who set it all up, the one who actually cast the spell to erase her memory. All Voldemort did was accept her and train her."

"Bastard," George muttered in disgust while Aria's eyes widened in disbelief and anger.

Aria shook her head, her eyes blazing as she spat angrily, "There is nothing more that I would like than to rip that guy's throat out. I mean, Riley can't even talk. She's barely said anything since that night, just cries."

"There's no telling what she went through and what she saw," George said with a serious frown. "She just needs time, I think."

"I hope so," Harry muttered, looking back at his friends. "The problem is that Mark. It'll never leave her arm, never let her forget. It's like my scar. If Voldemort ever gets angry at her, she'll know. It'll hurt her so bad that she'll want to cut it off and die."

"No kidding," George grunted. "Every time I look at it, I see her as a Death Eater, all of the things she did and the malice that she did them with."

"I know," Aria said sadly. "Same here, and it kills me because she's my best friend."

A moment later, the compartment door slid open, and Harry turned his head to see Ginny walking in with Hermione and Ron. They had their arms filled with items that Harry could only guess were magazines.

"There," Ginny said with a loud sigh as the three of them dropped the magazines onto the ground, covering the entire compartment floor. "I think that's all of them."

Harry squinted his eyes at the magazines, trying to understand what was on them. He asked in confusion, "What are you guys doing with those? What are they?"

Everyone in the compartment looked at Harry in surprise, as though he was mad. Hermione asked in surprise, "You don't know?"

Aria leaned over and picked up one of the magazines, handing it to Harry. Harry looked at it and was surprised to see that it was Witch Weekley, and on the cover was a picture of Riley from that night, the night that Dumbledore died and Riley was turned back. She was wearing her jacket, mini-skirt and boots with a very exposive halter top, her left hand raised high into the air and lightning erupting from it. The sleeve of her jacket had fallen down, revealing the Dark Mark, and a dark black cloud was beneath her, two people standing on either side of her with Death Eater masks on. Written on the cover of the magazine in bright letters was:

Hogwarts Student and Silvergates Champion Found At Last, With A Whole New Look

Harry looked up in alarm and asked in disbelief, "Where did this come from?"

"Apparently some idiot that was standing near us that night had a camera," Ginny muttered as she sat down beside Harry. Ron and Hermione sat across from one another, Harry pulling his feet down while Aria and George moved over. Ginny brushed her hair out from her face and said, "He or she must have made a fortune, because that picture's spread out through every magazine in the Wizarding world now, reputable or not."

"The only one that doesn't seem to have it is The Quibbler," Hermione said with a frown. "Luna says that it's because she asked her dad not to print it. Apparently he was going to, but because she asked him to, he agreed to not."

Harry stared back at the picture and saw the dark smirk on her face, green erupting from the wand and creating the Dark Mark in the sky. He let out a sigh of disbelief and said, "Now I understand why she won't come out of her room." He threw the magazine onto the ground and said, "The entire world knows about what she's done."

"I'm sure that's at least one of the reasons," Ron said with a frown. "Not bloody likely she'll want to be seen after every witch and wizard sees these."

"I think we've managed to bully every magazine with this on it from the kids on the train," Ginny said with a scowl, kicking the magazines at her feet. "Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about the rest of the world, and as soon as these kids get home, their parents will be ready to share the gossip."

"So you're not mad?" George asked, looking at his sister with concern.

Ginny frowned seriously and said, "I'm happy that she's back, that's all. I'd love to kick Malfoy in the gut for what he did, and then kill him, but no one can find him."

"He'll have joined the Death Eaters, no doubt," Ron muttered, frowning down at the magazines. "Good riddance, I say."

Harry looked at Ron and asked, "What's wrong, Ron? Aren't you glad that Riley's okay?" Thinking about it, he'd never heard Ron say anything positive about Riley's return to the good side, and suddenly wondered if that meant that he wasn't happy.

Ron continued staring blankly at the magazines and said in a low tone, "You don't know what it was like, Harry, seeing her like that. These magazines... I remember seeing her descend from the tower, like she was going to rain down darkness and death on every one of us, torture us and then kill us."

Harry felt offended for a moment, and then saw looks similar to Ron's on Hermione's, Ginny's and Aria's faces. He couldn't help but wonder what Riley had done to them, what she'd looked like that night. He looked back at the magazine he'd thrown to the ground and saw that it now focused on the Dark Mark on riley's arms, and he felt more confused than ever. Riley, his close friend that he trusted more than almost anyone, had tortured Ron on two different occasions with the Cruciatus Curse, beaten Hermione almost to death, and taken pleasure out of torturing Ginny. But it was Aria who had taken the worst beatings, even if not physically. Having to watch her best friend torture all of her close friends, see her change after knowing her for so long... It was unmerciful, and Riley had seen to that.

"How is she?" Harry asked, still looking at the magazine. "Riley, I mean. What's going to happen to her?"

"Obviously, she won't be coming back to Hogwarts next year," Aria said with a frown, looking over at Harry. "McGonogall wrote her off as having graduated, since she's far beyond the training of a normal student and seventh-year anyway."

Ron snorted, and Aria glared at him before continuing to say, "Scrimgeour wanted to put her in Azkaban, and I guess Umbridge was all for it, but Kingsley pushed for clemency because she was forced into becoming a Death Eater. She won't be going to Azkaban, but she's got to be really careful."

"She's going to stay with us and work with the Order during this next year," George said with a serious frown. "Help us out around the shop, help the Order with whatever they need. I think she's jumping all over that idea, given that she beat up Tonks and Kingsley so badly."

"Will she be safe with you guys?" Harry asked uncertainly. "I mean, what's to stop the Death Eaters from destroying the shop and everyone in it?"

George nodded and said, "All of the members of the Order are working to make Grimmuald Place and the shop impervious to Dark magic. That way, we'll all be safe, especially Riley."

"She's wanted now, right?" Ron asked, looking up at his brother. "Riley is wanted by the Death Eaters, right? They'll be looking for her."

"That's right," George said, nodding. "That's why we have to keep her safe. She won't be allowed to leave the shop or Grimmuald Place. It's going to suck for her, but it's the only way to keep her from danger."

"So what's next?" Ginny asked, looking around at the others. "I mean, where do we go from here?"

"Home, I suppose," George said, shrugging. "And then after Bill and Fleur's wedding, I don't know."

Harry looked at him, startled; the idea that anything as normal as a wedding could still exist seemed incredible and yet wonderful.

"Yeah, we wouldn't miss that," he said finally.

His hand closed automatically around the fake Horcrux, but in spite of everything, in spite of the dark and twisting path he saw stretching ahead for himself, in spite of the final meeting with Voldemort he knew would come, whether in a month, in a year, or in ten, he felt his heart lift at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with his friends, and that maybe one day, Riley would be able to be a part of that again.


End file.
